My Dilemma

If you’re anything like me (on certain days, at least), then sometimes, getting out of bed is the hardest thing you do all day.

Disclaimer: I live in Alaska. On winter days with subzero temperatures and three hours of daylight… waking up five hours before the 11am sunrise is my Everest.

But it doesn’t have to be an Alaskan winter day for it to be difficult to get out of bed.

It could be a fresh, spring day with two clouds in the sky and a light breeze.

Hitting the snooze button doesn’t give us more valuable sleep. It doesn’t help to recharge our bodies (unfortunately).

The snooze button is a temporary fix.

Instead of continuing to hit a button that almost always ends in rushing to get ready, here are some tricks to try that may help you get out of bed in the morning.

…

Set your alarm for the time you actually need to wake up.

If you set your alarm for 30 minutes before you need to get out of bed, you are depriving your body of 30 minutes of uninterrupted rest.

If you have to be out of bed at 6:00am, set your alarm for 6:00am.

This helps me. It gives me that push to get out of bed. I find myself feeling much less groggy on days that I am not ~dillydally-ing~ in bed before finally finding the courage to face the outside world.

Get out of bed fast enough that you don’t have time to think about the other option. Rip off the band-aid.

Sometimes, I give myself the liberty of counting to three.

1, 2, 3… Get up. It always works.

Have something to look forward to.

In the morning, even if it’s something small, have something good waiting for you.

This could be a cup of coffee, a quick walk around the block to enjoy the weather (if it’s weather worth enjoying), or even a few minutes to stretch and loosen your body to get ready for your day.

Maybe you finally used your over-ripe bananas and baked banana bread to enjoy in the morning… That always helps get me out of bed.

Lay out your outfit the night before.

For me, one of the main reasons I press snooze is because I’m cold. Laying out clothes the night before and having them ready to jump into shortens the “transition period” from pajamas to clothes.

When I lay out clothes the night before, I don’t have to stand in my closet with my goosebumpy arms wrapped around myself in the morning. I don’t have to think about putting together an outfit through the fog of having just woken up.

Get some “you time” before bed.

This should also be reducing your screen time before bed. Let your brain slow down and relax. Giving ourselves time to unwind without blaring our eyes with a screen helps increase our quality of sleep.

I like to keep a book on my nightstand. Even if I read three pages before bed, it still gives me something other than a screen to think about.

You could keep a crossword puzzle, a journal, or a poetry book on your bedside table… Spend some uninterrupted time with yourself, and if you have a partner, you can spend uninterrupted time with them.

~ ~ ~

Overwhelmed?

Pick one trick. Try it.

If it doesn’t work, try something else. Find what works for you.

It’s not supposed to be easy, but it’s not supposed to be super hard, either.