Nearly everyone needs a day or two to stay in bed and decompress from time to time, especially after a stressful day, or when you feel jet-lagged or ill. But anxiety, stress, insomnia, and depression can all demotivate and drain you of the energy to get out of your bed as well, and in these cases, your bed turns into a prison, and getting back on track may seem impossible. If you feel like this may be a problem for you, try a few or all of these 9 tips that all teach to focus on positivity and will help you gather the energy and motivation to get out of bed.
1. Think About the Daily Experiences That You Love
One of the worst morning habits ever is starting your day by pondering about all the dreaded tasks you have to accomplish. Instead, envision all the aspects of a productive day that you actually enjoy, be it the 5 minutes you spend every morning looking out your window and simply observing nature and the surroundings, the feeling of accomplishment you feel after you’ve exercised, or whatever is it you really enjoy: food, shopping, taking walks, gardening, you name it.
2. Remind Yourself of Your Victories
Negative thinking can often make us feel like we’re a failure and that we haven’t accomplished anything in life, which is just untrue. Try to remember a moment in life when you felt victorious and proud of yourself, like that time when you helped someone, the moment when you ran a marathon or that day when you’ve reached an important milestone in your career. These moments will remind you that you’re strong and capable, and you can realize your full potential again, even if you’re struggling at the moment.
3. Let the Light into Your Bedroom
Most living organisms on our planet follow the sun, and it just so happens that humans, unlike bats and other nocturnal creatures, feel more active when the surroundings are bright and full of light, and when the lights are dimmed and the curtains are closed, you’re more likely to feel sleepy or lazy. So open the curtains and let some light into your room first thing in the morning, or simply turn on the lights in the room immediately upon waking up, and you’ll have biology working with you and not against you.
4. Break Down Big Projects into Simpler Tasks
Have to do ALL the housework in one day? Well, if you put it that way, the mere thought of doing all the work may sound so overwhelming that it'll chase you right back into bed. It’s much better to think about a complex task as a set of easy and achievable steps. This way you won’t only be more organized, but you will also have a more positive attitude towards the tasks at hand. Knowing that your goal right now is to get out of bed and eat breakfast instead of having to do everything at once and feeling overwhelmed is liberating and motivating.
5. Reserve Some Time to Spend Outside
This may sound very naive to you at first, but spending time outside, be it reading a book, jogging or playing in the yard with the kids or grandkids can make a huge difference in how energized you feel. And this isn't speculation, it’s a scientific fact that spending time in green spaces can relieve you of stress and fatigue, although scientists aren’t quite sure why that is.
6. Plan Your Day
We recognize that it takes a specific type of person to have the patience to write down the majority of their meetings, people’s birthdays and get-togethers into a planner. Still, consider at least attempting to become that type of people person if you have trouble looking forward to your day, as seeing that you have a dinner with friends planned after a stressful day of work may just be the lift-me-up you need to get up and be productive.
7. Listen to Some Uplifting Tunes
The relationship between music and mood is a long-established one, that's exactly why we call some songs happy, whereas other ones may sound sad or angry to us. Some songs may even trigger warm and pleasant memories, so why not take advantage of the power of music and listen or dance along with a few songs that make you feel happy and positive? I, for one, love and get goosebumps every time I listen to "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone, listen along with me here.
8. Adopt a Pet
Having a pet equals happiness, that's all there is to it. And it doesn't matter if you're a cat person, a dog person or a parrot person, all of them cuddly, fluffy and feathered friends can lift your mood every day with their genuine affection towards you. Several studies even reported that having a pet can help people suffering from anxiety and stress. Some pets, such as dogs, can even urge you to get outside more often, so it's a double benefit. So if you feel like you can responsibly take care of a pet, don't hesitate and adopt one.
9. Share Your Experiences With Others
Your friends and family can help you get out of a rut without even knowing it. Make plans with a family member or friend for the evening to urge yourself to get outside, invite them over to make yourself tidy up the house and simply discuss your plans for the future with them to motivate yourself to accomplish them. Turn this into a habit, and won't only be able to spend more time with the people you like, but you will also make yourself more motivated.
