Depression or Laziness?
Many people see difficulty getting out of bed as laziness. However, it may sometimes be more than what they think. Different medical conditions can be responsible when you struggle to get up every morning after your alarm goes off. One of these conditions is dysania. Dysania can keep you in bed for about an hour or two after opening your eyes.
Different underlying issues may be contributing to your extreme fatigue. Some of the symptoms of dysania that may lead to difficulty getting out of bed may include anemia, sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), thyroid disorders, heart disease, restless legs syndrome, sleep disorders, diabetes, and depression.
Typically, depression can be a major cause of why you find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning. It's a mood disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, fatigue, and loss of energy. Depression is a common but serious mental health challenge that may be difficult to cope with sometimes because there are some of its symptoms that can feel hard to deal with, even when you are following a treatment plan. Click here to get some potential clarity on the symptoms you’ve been experiencing.
WAYS TO HELP NAVIGATE YOUR DEPRESSION:
- Turn on some favorite music: From different research, it's claimed that your mood can be influenced by music. Music can affect the way you feel when you listen to it daily. It's usually used for meditation to help with relaxation or to fall asleep. Also, if you usually use music to lift your spirit or when exercising, it may become part of you and serve as an instrument of motivation to get out of bed when you turn it on in the morning.
- Fill the room with light: If you find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, you may brighten the room in the morning. When you turn on the light or open up curtains or shades to let the light in, you may be motivated to get out of bed. To make it easy for you, you can use timers for your light — this can help you in the morning without necessarily making efforts to open up the curtains or shades.
- Get a pet or a service dog: Your pet can greatly be of help getting you out of bed in the morning because of depression. The interaction or connection between you and your pet can influence your mood. For instance, a service dog specially trained to offer emotional and physical supports to those living with mental health challenges. A service dog can help relieve the feelings of anxiety and loneliness and reduce the levels of stress. Knowing that you need to take your dog for a walk in the morning can help you get out of bed, encourage exercise, and deal with loneliness.
- Prioritize a few tasks: The stress of dealing with lots of tasks on your to-do list can be overwhelming and can make you too depressed to get out of bed in the morning. Try to do daily what you can do or prioritize a few tasks on your to-do list.
- Remember successful times or focus on an event that makes you feel good: One essential way to knock out a negative feeling is to develop a positive one. Remembering your good days or successful moments can boost your mood. The moment you get connected with memories that make you feel happy, your levels of depression will be reduced which may help you get up. Other things you can focus on include a friendly greeting, the post-exercise feeling, a tasty breakfast, and the first sip of a morning coffee or tea.
- Be kind to yourself: The way you treat yourself can influence how you feel. Be gentle with yourself when you’re struggling to get going.
Another way you can be kind to yourself is to offer yourself the chance of a "do-over" — if you feel too depressed to get out of bed, try to sleep for a little while but ensure you set an alarm. After waking up for the second time, try not to be judgmental but talk positively to yourself which can boost your mood.
- Accountability: Being accountable to someone such as a friend, family member, or coworker can motivate you to get out of bed even though you feel depressed. Some of the important plans you can make with a friend or family may include making exercise the first thing in the morning, meeting at a specific place (such as a coffee shop) when off for work, and talking to each other when going to school or work every morning,
- Have what-to-do plans: The thoughts that there are things to attend to in the morning can help get you out of bed. Ensure that you look forward to something to be done every morning. If you plan to meet with a good friend or family member, your mood can be enhanced especially when you feel depressed. You may decide to go to a movie or concert at the weekend or meeting for a meal. This can motivate you to get out of bed. You do not need to fill every day of your life with get-togethers and events, but technically an anticipated event influences your feelings which help deal with your condition in the morning.
- Make hunger your guide: If you are one of those who do not like to play with their stomachs, then you can use hunger as a strategy. Think about what you will eat in the morning— this may drive you to get up and get it even though you feel depressed. You can fantasize about your breakfast or coffee.
- Give a friend or a family member a call: Depression can be overwhelming to the extent that it may influence different aspects of your life including going to bed and getting out. If you feel too depressed to get out of bed in the morning, you can try to call or text a family member or close friend. Tell them how you feel— being expressive can motivate you to get out. You can also ask your partner to help bring you a cup of coffee, tossing the blankets aside, or starting the shower.
- Try to stretch: Generally, exercise is one of the ways to deal with mental health conditions. So, if you find it difficult to get out of bed because you're too depressed, you can do a "mini-exercise" right on your bed — gentle stretching.
- Try to sit up: Sitting up may probably be the first step to take to get out of bed, especially when you're depressed. You can do this by pushing up the pillows to prop up yourself. This process can help you get up to prepare for the day.
Create A Routine to Help with Your Depression
Also, you need to take the step of getting up and doing what may be expected one after the other. This is because it may honestly not be easy to get out of bed to go to work or school you're cozy in bed and also depressed. After sitting up, try to put your feet on the floor, go to the bathroom for a bath, brush your teeth, and get dressed. To make things simple (which can help in this situation), always try to think one step before taking it.
- Set an alarm: Sometimes this may be ineffective and sometimes it may not, depending on the levels of your condition. An alarm can make you uncomfortable. You can even do it well by setting annoying alarms and place your clock or phone where you won't be able to reach it. The constant disturbances can get you up to shut it off.
- Concentrate on what you have around you: One of the things that indicate that you're mindful of what's around you is writing. Put your positive thoughts in writing — you can write about what you're thankful for each day, especially the previous day. You can write this at night and take the time to read it in the morning.
- Save your energy: When you make decisions, you put in it lots of energy. However, when you stick with something you do regularly, it helps conserve it which may be useful for mornings when you feel depressed. To be candid, your ability to make decisions can be affected by depression. Therefore, it may be better to stick to a schedule and save energy. Follow your normal routine such as getting ready for work in the same order, eating the same meal, and taking the same route when going to work.
When Do You Need to See a Doctor for Your Depression?
If you are unable to deal with your condition by yourself or you're sensing that you're experiencing a severe form of depression, talk to your doctor or therapist. They will help you create a treatment plan designed to help you feel better.
