The alarm goes off, you know you got enough sleep, you know you have things that need to be done, but you feel overwhelmed or sad before you even step foot out of bed, so you turn off the alarm and sink further under the covers.
Depression can make it hard for you to find the motivation to just get out of bed in the morning and the more you lay there and think about it, the more overwhelmed you will feel.
- Do not snooze your alarm
- When you snooze your alarm you are setting yourself up to not be successful for the day. You are expecting less than you best.
- Make your bed
- You have now accomplished one task and you are less likely to go back to bed in a neatly made bed.
- Listen to uplifting music or podcast
- Research shows that music has a positive effect on your mood and can decrease anxiety. This is not to watch the news if it causes you worry and stress. Keep it positive and uplifting. It’s ok to dance to the music…no one is watching.
- Visualize a successful day
- When you visualize the successful day, think of specifics…what are you wearing, who are the people you see, what are you eating. If you don’t know what a successful day looks like to you, then how will you achieve it?
- Take a shower and get dressed
- When you get dressed for the day, you are less likely to get back in bed and you will start to feel better just by accomplishing this task and feeling good about yourself
It may seem difficult at first, but be consistent and over time it will get easier. These are simple small steps, but will encourage you to accomplish other tasks. This is about pushing yourself to achieve one small task at a time.