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Most people naturally think their stress and anxiety builds up during the day. When I ask my client's: "What is the biggest stressor in your life right now?" They'll tell me it's either their:
But for many women, the nervous system is already dysregulated before the first meeting, email, or decision even begins! And it often starts in the first 30 minutes after waking.  For years my mornings looked like this:
At the time, I thought this was normal. I'm probably just not a 'morning person' right?? I saw the same frazzled faces in the morning traffic staring back at me - shoulders tense, jaws clenched, already bracing for the day ahead. We’re all under pressure, constantly reacting and responding to everything life and work demand of us. So I used to wonder… how could things possibly be any different? What I didn’t realize at the time was this:
The Cortisol Connection Most People Don’t Know AboutCortisol is often labelled the body’s “stress hormone,” which makes it sound like something we should absolutely eliminate, at all costs. But interestingly, cortisol isn’t always bad. In fact, it’s essential for WAKING YOU UP in the morning! It's the hormone that aids you to feel alert and mobilize the energy you need to start your day. What many people don’t know is that cortisol naturally PEAKS in the first 30 minutes after waking. This is known as the cortisol awakening response. And when your first 30mins of the day are filled with urgency, stimulation, and threat signals (aka your emails, news, notifications, and rushing), the nervous system interprets the environment as UNSAFE. The result?
And then, you're left asking “Why do I feel anxious in the morning for no reason?” Why “Powering Through” Makes It WorseHigh-performing women are especially good at overriding their bodies. You push through, instead of taking time to recharge. You cope, instead of asking for help. You must stay productive, instead of taking breaks to rest. But the thing we don't undertand is that a nervous system that never gets a moment to regulate won't magically RESET later in the day. By mid-morning, many of my clients describe feeling:
I definitely used to feel this way too. This isn’t a mindset or productivity problem, it’s a regulation issue. The Shift That Changed Everything for MeI learned a very valuable lesson in 2017, after hitting a rock-bottom with my mental health. How you start your day sends a powerful signal to your nervous system about what kind of day it’s about to be. Are we starting the day with chaos? Scrolling bad news, checking emails before we’re fully awake, rushing out the door on empty, or relying on caffeine to function - telling our nervous system to expect STRESS, watch for THREATS, be ready for the SH*T SHOW! Or are we starting the day fuelled, grounded, and centred? Sending our nervous system a very different message: you’re safe, you’re supported, and you can meet whatever comes next. The turning point came for me when I did a 7-day challenge with a new coach I was working with. She told me that if I wanted to reduce the stress and anxiety in my life, I couldn’t keep starting my mornings in survival mode. I needed to calm my nervous system before the chaos of the day took over. Nothing too rigid or unrealistic, this wasn't “5am miracle mornings”, because lets face it - who has 2 hours every morning for that?! But I learned there were small things I could do every morning, that took very little time, that were intentional signals of safety and steadiness for my nervous system. I started with this:
None of this actually took much time. Maybe an extra 15mins? And not hitting the snooze button 3 times! It just took new intention to let my body fully wake up before asking it to perform. And within just three days, I began to feel the difference! There was a quiet change within me that was beginning to blossom. I wasn't starting the day feeling as rushed, or already behind. And the things that happened during the day, didn't feel so difficult to manage. Your Morning Routine Sets Your Nervous System Not Just Your ScheduleThis is the piece most people miss. Your morning routine doesn’t just determine how productive you’ll be. It determines how regulated your nervous system will be. When the body starts the day in calm:
When the body starts the day in urgency:
Small Changes Create Big ShiftsThe biggest myth, and what I help my clients to realize is that you don’t need to overhaul your entire life. I want you to start small to build new habits! That is the only way they will stick long-term. Even small shifts in the first 30 minutes can make a meaningful difference:
These simple short habits are support stratetgies for your nervous system. Try one (or two) for the next 7 days and see what differences you notice. Take it from me, when your nervous system feels safer, everything else works better! I’ve kept these habits going for almost a decade now. They’re non-negotiables for me, and I’ve never once felt the urge to go back to those hectic, stress-fuelled mornings. Because calm isn’t something you earn at the end of the day. It’s something you have to choose right from the start of your day! - Janel Briggs  If you’d like personal support to change your relationship with stress and build a nervous system that feels calmer and more grounded,
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