Today it took me an hour to get out of bed after being woken by my alarm clock. This is usually a sign that I’m not ready to face the world. It’s OK, though; not all of us can rush around at 100mph from the get-go. It’s probably why I give myself so much time in the morning.

Perhaps my brain just needed to set itself up for the challenges ahead, or it took a while for me to overcome my small-scale anxieties. I’ll sometimes wake up feeling apprehensive about nothing in particular — maybe interacting with other human beings or completing a day’s work. I then berate myself for wasting time and having to rush to get ready. It’s probably better to accept that I just needed a bit of time before I was mentally prepared to start the day.

On some days I will even perform an unnecessary task, such as putting a load in the washing machine, even when I’m already behind schedule. This usually ensures that I will indeed be late. I’m not sure whether this is a form of self-sabotage that I’m prone to or if it’s anxiety-driven procrastination. Fortunately, today was not one of those days.

Despite feeling as comfortable as I possibly can be in a public-facing role, and happy to be contributing to a good cause, my anxiety is always more heightened on a Monday morning. Perhaps it’s my brain struggling to cope with the shift from the more relaxed weekend routine to the fast-paced working day that lies ahead. As always, however, I felt better once my shift began. The day flew by, without anything of note occurring. I even managed to avoid embarrassing myself in any way!

Most of the things I get anxious about are trivial matters. As I mentioned earlier, procrastination is a by-product of this apprehension. I can spend hours fretting about an upcoming event, subsequently failing to prepare for it effectively, but then feel OK the second it commences. This then leads to feelings of regret and even guilt. But it’s best not be so hard on ourselves.

I’m fortunate to be able to return to a calm, stable home each evening. Many people don’t have this luxury. Whether my wife and I watch TV or just talk about nothing in particular, home is the one place I can truly relax, which gives me the energy to face the world again the following day.