How to Not Stay in Bed All Day

Do you have trouble getting out of bed and sometimes end up staying in bed all day? You're not alone. People with mental illness, those experiencing depression in particular, often have this problem. But no one wants to stay in bed all day. It doesn't help anyone, it doesn't shorten one's overwhelming to-do list, and it doesn't help you feel better, either. So, let's look at techniques to ensure you don't stay in bed all day.

1. Understand Why You Want to Stay in Bed All Day

There are many reasons why when you wake up, you might feel compelled to stay in bed all day. It could be that you're tired due to insomnia. It could be that you don't want to face something unpleasant in your life. It could be that you're exhausted due to the mental illness itself (or its treatment). It could be something else entirely. Any of these things are okay, but try to get a handle on which one or ones with which you are dealing.

2. Give Yourself a Break When You Want to Stay in Bed All Day

It can feel like you should beat yourself up for feeling like you want to stay in bed all day. I would highly recommend against this. By beating yourself up, you're just going to feel worse, and that will actually increase the likelihood that you will stay in bed all day. I would suggest saying something like this to yourself, "I understand that I don't want to get out of bed. This is normal for me. There are legitimate reasons why I feel that way. Feeling that way is not my fault, and I can deal with it."

3. Don't Give Yourself the Option of Staying in Bed All Day

Try not to think about staying in bed all day as an option. The question is not, "Will I or won't I stay in bed?" the question is actually, "How will I get out of bed.?"

4. Get Out of Bed First Thing Without Thinking About It

Don't hit the snooze button; don't laze about under the covers. As soon as your eyes are open, pull back the covers and sit up. That will make it far more likely that you'll make it out of bed. 

5. Don't Give Up on Getting Out of Bed

If you can't get out of bed first thing in the morning, don't give up. It's tempting to say, "oh, well, if I'm not up by now, I'm not going to get up." But this isn't true. Every new minute is a new opportunity for you to get out of bed. And remind yourself why you want to get out of bed in the first place (coffee comes to mind).

6. Stay Out of the Bedroom to Stay Out of Bed All Day

If you know that you tend to stay in bed all day, stay out of the bedroom and away from temptation. It's better to even lie down on the couch than the bed if you associate the bed with not getting anything done all day.

7. Deal with Why You Want to Stay in Bed All Day

Staying in bed all day is a coping skill. You're doing it to cope with something (as I discussed in number one, above). But staying in bed all day would likely be considered a negative coping skill. In other words, yes, it helps you cope with something, but it's harmful in the way it does it. So, when you do get up out of bed, seek out a new coping skill to handle what you've been trying to avoid or deal with. Consider seeing a psychotherapist, a psychiatrist, a sleep specialist, or whoever can help you with the issue.

8. Reward Yourself for Not Staying in Bed All Day

And if staying in bed all day is really an issue for you, try to reward yourself when you don't do it. Reward yourself when you manage to get up a few minutes earlier. These are big goals and big achievements for some people, so don't just gloss over them.

9. If You Do Stay in Bed All Day, Don't Beat Yourself Up

And if worst comes to worst and you don't make it out of bed one day, that's okay. These things happen. Beating yourself up about it is not going to help you. No one wins every battle. Tomorrow is another opportunity to try again.