The Answer to: "Why Do I Wake Up Feeling Anxious?" (and what to do about it.)

For years, I thought anxiety was just something that happened to me.

I would wake up feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or depressed and have no idea why. Nothing terrible had happened. There wasn't always a clear trigger. Sometimes I just felt bad.

What I eventually learned changed my life. The feeling wasn't coming out of nowhere. It was coming from my thoughts. Now before you roll your eyes, hear me out.

At the time, I didn't know that I was walking around with a collection of beliefs running quietly in the background of my mind. They were so familiar that I never questioned them.

I believed things like:

• I'm a horrible wife and mom.

• My body is disgusting.

• I'm lazy.

• I'm a slob.

• I don't know what I'm doing.

• I should get a real job.

  
  

Some of those thoughts weren't true. Some weren't facts. Some were simply unhelpful. The problem was that I believed them. And because I believed them, they shaped how I felt.

The Thought Behind Feeling Anxious

One of the biggest mindset shifts I've ever had was learning that emotions don't appear out of thin air. Most of the time, there is a thought creating them. The challenge is that many of our thoughts are automatic. They happen so quickly and so often that we don't even notice them. Today, I still have automatic thoughts. The difference is that I don't automatically accept them. That's where journaling comes in.

The Four-Step Process I Use to Uncover Why I Wake Up Feeling Anxious

Whenever I feel anxious, overwhelmed, discouraged, or not good enough, I don't immediately try to fix the feeling. Instead, I get curious.

Step 1: Ask Why

I start with a simple question:

Why do I feel anxious?

Then I write. I don't censor myself. I don't try to sound smart. I simply dump every thought onto the page. Most of the thoughts aren't the problem. But eventually I come across one that makes me pause. It's usually the one that hurts. The one that feels painfully true. That's often the thought causing the emotion.

Step 2: Ask If It's Actually True

This is where things get interesting. Many of the thoughts that create anxiety aren't facts. They're interpretations. They're stories. They're beliefs we've practiced for years.

For example:

"I am a horrible wife and mom."

Is that actually true? Or did I make one mistake and use it as evidence that I'm failing? Most of the time, when I looked closer, I discovered there was very little evidence supporting the thought.

Step 3: Find What Is True

Sometimes the thought is completely false.

Sometimes it contains a grain of truth.

Either way, I ask:

What is actually true?

Or:

What else is true?

For example:

Instead of:

"I am a horrible wife and mom."

I might discover:

"I care deeply about my family."

"I make mistakes sometimes."

"I'm doing the best I can with the tools I have."

Those statements are both honest and helpful.

Step 4: Practice a Better Thought

This is the step most people skip. A limiting belief doesn't disappear just because you identify it. You have to replace it. When I found a thought that was healthier and more accurate, I practiced it. Every time the old thought showed up, I intentionally redirected my attention. Not perfectly. Not overnight. Just consistently. Over time, the new thought became more natural than the old one.

What I Believe Now

Today, I believe most thoughts are automatic. I can't control when they appear. But I can decide whether they deserve a permanent place in my mind.

I no longer believe I'm lazy. I have two sleep disorders and a brain that works differently than many people around me. I no longer believe I'm a horrible wife and mom. I'm imperfect, but I'm doing my best. Most importantly, I've learned that just because a thought appears in my head doesn't mean it's true.

Why This Matters

Many women spend years trying to fix their anxiety, confidence, self-worth, or motivation without ever examining the thoughts underneath. But if the thought stays the same, the feeling usually follows. The good news is that limiting beliefs can be challenged. Negative self-talk can be changed. A growth mindset can be developed. That's not just something I read in a book. It's something I've lived.

Why I Paint What I Paint

The work I've done on my mindset over the last seven years influences everything I create. When I paint women, I'm thinking about the stories they tell themselves. The beliefs they're carrying. The strength they're discovering. The version of themselves they're becoming. My hope is that my artwork serves as a reminder that you don't have to believe every thought you think. You can question it. You can challenge it. And you can choose a better story.

If this kind of personal growth and mindset work resonates with you, I'd love for you to join my email list. That's where I share new artwork, blog posts, and the lessons I'm learning along the way.