Earlier this week a friend told me that it is hard to get out of bed on most days.
I am in my 30s now and I can completely relate. I too have those days where I wake up with body ache, feeling unrested and wishing for an asteroid to collide with the planet.
On days when I didn’t contemplate the complete annihilation of our species, these actionable steps made it a lot easier to get out of bed.
1. Acknowledge Your Experience and give yourself 10 more minutes
A couple of years ago a Gartner Survey found that only 13% of employees were largely satisfied with their jobs. In my previous job, I struggled to get out of bed every single day. My alarm clock was the dead giveaway.
The first step would be to acknowledge what you are going through with kindness. You are not alone in this existential dread. And If you’re like me, give yourself a bonus of 10 minutes of sleep.
It could be just what you need right now.
2. Find One Thing That Works For You
The idea here isn’t to start acting like a member of a toxic positivity cult.
A hint of gratitude makes it slightly easier to start off the day. And this does not have to be rooted in denial. It can be as simple as being thankful for the comfortable bed where you woke up. Even if you wake up with an aching body, you could be grateful for the parts that don’t ache right now.
This shifts the focus from our misery and helps us gain some momentum to start off the day.
3. Get A Furball For Company
Honestly, this makes point number 2 a lot easier.
Owning a furry friend can bring a greater sense of purpose to your life. It has also been known to reduce stress, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness.
Bonus Perk: Waking up to a face like this makes it a lot easier to get out of bed.
4. A Small Win To Kick Start Your Day
If you’re in bed staring at the ceiling wondering “What am I going to do today?”, then consider making your bed the first thing you do.
It gives you something to do right now as opposed to planning your entire day.
Your bed is already made for the night
You start off the day with a win.
And as the Matthew Principle goes: Success brings with it more success.
5. Start Your Day With Movement
This seems like ridiculous advice if your default state is being unable to move out of bed. I apologize for that.
But it helps you build on the momentum from the previous steps. This youtube channel is an amazing resource for a body tune-up. She also has a very effective 10-minute stretch which helps you destress and release stored tension.
If stretching and Yoga are not for you, consider putting on your favorite song and just dancing in the most ridiculous way possible.
My friend Takamichi perfectly embodies this idea
6. Take a Break From Caffeine
You probably thought a cup of coffee was what gets you out of bed every morning. What if the opposite were true and it was what is keeping you in bed.
In ‘Why We Sleep’ sleep expert Matthew Walker shared how caffeine was deeply correlated with poor sleep. Caffeine has a quarter-life of 12 to 15 hours and it is likely that our morning cup of coffee interferes with the part of the night where you get most of our deeply restorative Non-REM sleep.
Each morning we wake up poorly rested, experiencing caffeine withdrawal effects of caffeine. This makes us crave more of it.
This video made me jump on the 90-day caffeine-free challenge. I’m currently on week 3 and while my productivity took a big hit initially, I have noticed that I am very well rested each morning, making it easier to get out of bed.
7. 22:22 Naps
Regular naps are super rejuvenating.
The trick is to get the timing right. Long naps (> 1 hour) after 3 pm could make it harder to fall asleep. According to NASA napping between 10 - 20 minutes helps you become more productive during the day.
"You'll get the most benefit from a sleep cycle without any of the grogginess associated with longer sleeping periods," - Business Insider
I picked 22:22 because it looks on a timer
Hope this helps. If you gave any of this a shot or if you had actionable techniques of your own, I would love to hear from you in the comments. Also, if you would liked what you read, you can follow me on Twitter (@sushilganesh17)