Key points

The first moments of wakefulness can be a time of intense anxiety and tension for some.

Waking can trigger dread, as the “grid of reality” snaps in with obligations and old fears.

Naming and normalizing this storm at dawn softens self-blame and opens paths for care.

This is Part 1 of a two-part series.

Ahh.... morning. The start of a new day, a fresh script, new opportunities. The idyllic clichés abound: sunlight and a soft breeze spilling gently through gauzy curtains, the smell of fresh coffee brewing, a day to seize. But for a lot of us (and our patients and students), the first light does not bring a gentle sunrise but heavy weather. Instead of “new day, new you,” there’s a familiar storm already waiting by the bedside.

In my clinical work with folks with anxiety and

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