For those of us who are able-bodied enough, the chances are that you get yourself out of bed in the morning. This in itself is something to be grateful for – indeed too that you have a bed to rise from!

Not all of us are great in the morning – maybe you’re the sort of person who needs a coffee before you feel human. You could awake feeling sluggish because you’ve had a disturbed night, tossing and turning due to anguish, stress and worries. You are not alone, take comfort from this, because your anxieties have likely peaked due to the uncertain era we are all facing in the pandemic.

But worrying is counter-productive, doing so is entirely unconstructive. It only negatively affects you and your mental and physical wellbeing. You may experience such symptoms as chewing your nails until your fingers are sore, or enduring headaches, stomach aches or broken sleep.

If this resonates with you, there are people and tools to help you. There are a plethora of free downloadable meditation apps. You could talk to your GP, or if you don’t have a bedtime routine, make one, and reward yourselves for keeping it going:

Actually, when you jot your worries down, whilst you may not be able to solve them, they become tangible; our human brains tend to feel more organised and less angsty when we can actually see what we are fraught about.

With good sleep hygiene, the next morning, some of your problems will diminish. At the very least you can feel more rested, and prioritise your urgent tasks to reduce your anguish or alleviate some of the worry you may have about future events.

We’re all living in challenging times, so we’d be well advised not to set unrealistic goals. Measure any new habit on a daily basis: a tally mark on the calendar for each day that you have stuck to it. Once you have reached five in a row, it’s time to celebrate: perhaps a treat at the weekend! And if you break the habit, do not be hard on yourself – resume it the next day.

Small positive changes add up in exactly the same way as saving dimes or pennies, and as you implement them you will truly feel much happier. You will find getting out of bed in the morning much easier!