Morning is supposed to be the calmest part of the day. However, the reality is often quite different. If anxiety and restlessness overwhelm you early, practically immediately after waking up, you are certainly not alone. A lot of people are facing similar problems. The reasons for this kind of feeling early in the morning can be quite complex, which means that a holistic approach is usually needed. On the other hand, small changes or tricks can provide at least a little relief. One such trick to help relieve morning anxiety is to drink salt water on an empty stomach…
Morning anxiety may be related to physiological imbalance…
You probably already know that drinking water in the morning is very important. It is advisable to indulge in a glass or two of water as soon as possible, as the body is usually quite dehydrated after several nights of sleep. Some also recommend adding various additives to the water we drink on an empty stomach. Very popular additives are, for example, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. It is much less known, however, that drinking water to which we have added a pinch of salt can also have certain benefits. This combination is especially recommended for those who are often under stress early in the morning.
If, after you open your eyes, your thoughts are almost instantly overwhelmed by all sorts of worries, this may be at least partly related to a completely physiological event in your body or an imbalance. Although it may not seem at first glance that salt water or salt could have a more significant impact on such problems, the effects can actually be much more positive than you probably imagine.
A morning increase in the amount of cortisol in the body is completely normal
So what exactly is the connection between morning anxiety or stress and drinking salt water? Cortisol plays a key role in this - a hormone that is probably also known as "stress hormone". Cortisol affects a variety of processes in our body. Among other things, it can be associated with chronic inflammation and high blood pressure and sugar. It is quite common for the amount of cortisol in the body to peak in the morning. As a rule, this natural increase in values in the morning should not be felt as stress, but the amount of cortisol rises slightly, mainly because we have more energy for the day ahead. However, the problem arises if the amounts of this hormone in your body are already basically too high, which is usually associated with chronic stress.
The natural morning rise is usually a fairly small amount of cortisol, but it can be just that drop over the edge. And here comes the kind of salt. A pinch of salt on an empty stomach is supposed to slightly reduce the level of cortisol. The hormone is thus still enough that we are not overly tired, but on the other hand not so much as to feel the very intense symptoms of anxiety.
The amount of salt should be kept to a minimum
Above all, you should be careful not to overdo the amount of salt (unless, of course, you decide to try this method), as the effects can be completely opposite to the desired ones. A small pinch dissolved in a large glass of water is therefore sufficient. It is advisable to use as high quality mineral-rich salt as possible. At the same time, we advise you to try other simple methods to curb morning anxiety.
For example, it can help to always make a plan for the next day before going to bed, as this will make the mornings much less chaotic. It is also very helpful to write a morning journal of gratitude; if you take a few minutes to write down what it is that you can be thankful for, it will divert your attention from negative thoughts and as a result, your body will calm down as well.
Thank you for reading my article.
Happy Sunday! @Purebeauty
