What To Do When You Don't Want To Get Out Of Bed
Everyday isn't always the same.
It happens to the best of us. Lately, I wake up with a low energy, force myself to start my day which really impacts my mood in a bad way and either I get nothing done that day or I feel like giving up on everything else.
So lately, I’ve been doing my research on how to make my day better, how to get out of bed and kick ass, be productive and learn to appreciate life more. What I found was in fact interesting but first, 'why do we wake up feeling that way?’
Sometimes there isn’t something to look forward to so we end up in our bed, feeling ‘why did I wake up today because sleep is actually much better than being awake’ but if you aren’t at the stage where you ask the Universe why you are awake, then you simply just force yourself to get out of bed and do it.
Another reason why we often want to stay in bed forever is because of our repetitive routines. If you’re someone who lives life in the same pattern everyday, trust me you’re going to get tired of everything because you know how it works, there’s nothing challenging about the day.
You know you have to brush, eat breakfast and get into the shower, drive to work, get back home, eat dinner and sometimes maybe you hang out with friends and family.
But one thing stands out: there’s nothing interesting about your life and nothing stands out and you’re probably thinking, what should you do to make life more interesting? How can you find your true purpose in life?
We all have these questions in our head everyday but before I go further, I want to say one thing to you: LIVE. We’ve all heard the phrase, ‘life is too short’ so ‘why not live life everyday as if you’re being handed a gift that’s worth it?’ ‘Why don’t you try incorporating outdoor activities into your schedule?’
Which brings us to what you should really do when you don’t want to get out of bed.
First: acknowledge within yourself that your mind is tired of living through the same patterns.
We get that breakfast is important but why not switch things up? Find something to be excited about, try recipes so you’re eager to start your day and even when you want to stay in bed, you get out because you know what awaits you is pure gold.
Secondly: Plan your day the night before.
Before you go to bed each night, try to write what you look forward to the next day. It could be writing, it could be making a recording about the most beautiful parts of your day. It could be filming, trying out a painting class, learning a new language. Incorporate something new into those patterns so the next morning you find it easier getting out of bed.
Thirdly: Go to bed early.
If we sleep late the night before, we can’t expect to be the best of ourselves the next day. You can’t sleep at twelve or two and expect to be excited waking up the next day. You’re tired and you need adequate rest which you’re not giving to yourself so the next day wouldn’t be exciting because all your body wants is to recuperate and get adequate rest.
Fourth: try a list of exciting things to do.
At this point, I would recommend working out and if you’re too tired to go to the gym, there are lots of work out videos on YouTube and as a pro tip: make sure you have outfits readied out the night before because it always makes it easier to jump into it.
Meditation is also really important because it makes you connect with your inner self and feeling the breath within you makes you feel grateful, important and loved because that keeps you moving every time. If you haven’t tried out meditation, please do. It is important and it helps a lot. 100% effective.
Yoga: although I just got into practicing yoga and I don’t know much but with what I’ve seen, it’s an healthy way of connecting with your body because you make use of every part of you during this process so if that’s something you want to try out, please do because it also helps.
Journaling: Writing. When I wrote writing, I smiled. Why you ask? Writing has gotten me through the hardest moments of my life. Expressing yourself through words can be compared to traditional therapy. In therapy, you talk to someone which might be quite daunting for an introvert or for anyone who likes to keep things to themselves but writing to and for yourself is magical. Also there are things you think you know about yourself which you don’t, writing helps you do that. Another pro tip: whenever you’re in a bad mood, write what you feel on paper and toss it in a bin. It’s been psychologically proven to help lift mood.
Baking: Puh-lease. Give me some flour and eggs and I am ready to start the day. I understand you might lead a busy life but you could have it on your schedule to bake once a week. Baking unleashes your creativity and remember to ban perfectionism, you’re doing this for yourself. Also, make sure to take a picture so you could laugh at the flawless cake you made or show it to people that love you, invite them over to eat your signature treat. It makes everything else better, trust me.
Gardening: flowers are too beautiful and waking up to what you nurture and grow is sure to get you started on your day. Also, you don’t want those lovelies dying, do you?
Watch a movie/read a book: nothing surpasses the power of a good book/movie and you don’t need to watch/read something that preaches philosophy. Go easy on yourself and watch/read Romance, watch people fall in love and connect with them, reminding yourself that life is always beautiful and worth living.
Go outdoors: a lot of us want to stay in all day and that’s where we have these patterns in our lives so why don’t you go on a date? Why don’t you try out street food? Why don’t you go for a wine tasting? Try out your hobbies even the most reckless of them all? Why don’t you try cooking? Why don’t you try being goofy and fun? Why don’t you stay on the sidewalk while feeling people breeze past you because life isn’t waiting for you to live it. So why wait? You don’t know when you’re going to die, so please, live.
Fifth: manifest, smile and be positive about how your day is going to turn out.
Life is a bitch, even to myself because I absolutely have nothing figured out but with the struggling, make sure you realize that being negative isn’t going to solve anything, it’s only going to make it worse so even when it’s hard, say to yourself that you’ve got this and I believe in you, I believe that you’ve got this.
If you’re currently struggling with mental health, know that you’re not alone and we’re all fighting through life so please don’t give up. Talk to friends, remind yourself to smile and if anyone you know is going through something, please don’t try to invalidate how they feel because mental health is always important and if you don’t believe in it, it’s always better keeping your opinions to yourself. Also be kind. Always. Be an inspiration to yourself and others around you. Start each day with a smile, end it with gratitude and believe in yourself.
And if it gets too hard, reach out to professionals, get therapy, surround yourself with your loved ones and I’ll be linking some helplines below in case it gets too hard: befrienders.org.
To talk about anything upsetting you, contact the Samaritans. (you can contact then 24 hours a day, free from any phone) : 116 123
Or try their email: jo@samaritans.org.
You can also call their Welsh language line on: 0808 164 0123.
If you're experiencing mental health problems or supporting someone else, call SANEline on 0300 304 7000.
National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652 (open 24/7)
Campaign Against Living Miserably: you can call CALM on 0800 585 858. (5pm- midnight everyday)
If you're under 25, call The Mix on 0808 808 4994 (3pm–midnight every day), request support by email using this form on The Mix website or use their crisis text messenger service.
If you're under 35 and struggling with suicidal feelings, or concerned about a young person who might be struggling, you can call Papyrus HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141 (weekdays 10am-10pm, weekends 2pm-10pm and bank holidays 2pm–10pm), email pat@papyrus-uk.org or text 07786 209 697.
If you're a student, you can look on the Nightline website to see if your university or college offers a night-time listening service. Nightline phone operators are all students too.
Or check out this site for more info: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/crisis-services/helplines-listening-services/
Fighting!
