How to Get Out of Bed When Depressed: 19 Tips From a Therapist

Why You Feel Like You Can’t Get Out of Bed With Depression

Feeling like you can’t get out of bed when depressed is a common  symptom of depression. It often stems from extreme fatigue, both physical and emotional.Physically, depression can cause fatigue because it disrupts normal sleep patterns. Emotionally, depression is marked by extreme sadness or hopelessness, which can cause emotional exhaustion. Additionally, depression can cause a lack of motivation and interest in activities that were once enjoyable, making the effort to get out of bed seem pointless.¹

19 Tips for How to Get Out of Bed When Depressed

Getting out of bed when you’re dealing with depression can be a challenge, but several strategies might help make the process a bit easier. Start by taking small steps and building up to bigger tasks. Establishing consistent routines of positive affirmations, therapy, and other healthy lifestyle choices can help provide daily purpose.

Here are nineteen tips that can help you to get out of bed when depressed:

1. Set Manageable Goals

Moving past depression can feel impossible for many people. When working on getting out of bed when depressed, don’t expect to change everything about your morning habits right away! Instead of viewing productivity as a single massive task, break your morning down into manageable steps. What are some small, manageable changes that you can make?

Here are some manageable goals you can set for yourself:

• Getting out of bed 10-15 minutes earlier than the day before.
• Take a shower when you get up rather than waiting till later.
• Engage in a mindfulness practice, like journaling, in the morning.
• Get dressed and ready for the day instead of staying in pajamas.
• Sit outside for a few minutes (weather permitting).
• Do some gentle stretches when you get out of bed to get your body moving.
• Reach out to a friend or family member for a phone call in the morning.

Setting SMART Goals for Depression

SMART Goals is a structured goal-setting method that can help individuals with depression create clear and manageable objectives.

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2. Plan Something to Look Forward To

Scheduling something in advance for your day will give you more reason and purpose for getting up and moving. Planning something enjoyable, like a walk, a nice coffee drink, or a visit with a friend, can be a great motivator to see the day in a brighter light. Having a plan can also keep you accountable, especially if it’s a scheduled appointment or meeting.

3. Begin a Morning Routine

Creating a morning routine is a widely recommended strategy for getting out of bed.  You need to start with small steps to make larger, long-term changes in your waking routine. The first step is literally stepping on the floor when your alarm goes off; not snoozing and sitting upright will get your system ready to move!

After getting out of bed, choose an activity that stimulates your senses and helps you feel energized, rather than keeps you in bed. Use your five senses to get your brain clicked on for the day: listen to upbeat music, light a candle or incense, turn on the lights or open windows, change the temperature (with clothes or environment), or eat a mint/chocolate.

4. Get a Pet Who Needs Your Care First Thing

We often feel more care and compassion for others compared to ourselves when we feel depressed. Having a living creature depending on you can be a huge motivation to get up and move in the morning. A dog or cat will likely wake you up to be fed, watered, or let outside. Other pets like fish, lizards, or even virtual pets will also need your attention daily!

5. Have Someone Hold You Accountable

An accountability buddy can be extremely helpful for getting up and moving in the morning. Think about having a friend or family member physically check on you or call you at an agreed-upon time. You can also use a shared calendar that alerts both of you each morning. There are also wake-up call services and apps that will help you wake up.

6. Use Multiple Alarms & Make It Harder to Turn Them Off

Have an alarm (or more than one) that forces you to get out of bed by being further away than you can reach from where you sleep. Keeping your alarm device across the room will make you get moving. Turn off the snooze function on your alarm so you don’t have any temptation to use it. Choose an alarm sound that’s obnoxious so you can’t sleep through it.

7. Keep Your Room Dark at Night & Bright in the Morning

Bright light in the morning signals your body to wake up. Open your blinds first thing. At night, reduce screen time and artificial light to promote restful sleep and help regulate your circadian rhythm.²

8. Limit Daytime Naps

While you may feel very sleepy during the day, do your best to limit or avoid taking naps. This will help establish a sleep-wake routine for your body to get used to and follow. Your system can get confused and off schedule when sleep occurs outside of the typical window, making it harder to get efficient sleep during the night.

9. Turn On Upbeat Music

Our sense of hearing is one of the most powerful tools we have to help us get up and stay awake. Choosing an upbeat, inspiring, or favorite song can help you get your body and brain moving out of sleep mode and into wakefulness. Try picking a song you can’t help but dance to to get your body moving!

10. Spend Time Outside Every Day

Natural sunlight has been shown time and time again to help regulate and maintain our sleep-wake cycle and our mood.² Exposure to daylight helps modulate our brain chemistry, including serotonin availability, which can lead to stabilizing your mood. If you can get out in the daylight in the morning, it tends to be more effective in decreasing depressive symptoms.

11. Prioritize Just a Few Tasks Each Day

Sometimes, people have a hard time getting up because they’re overwhelmed with everything they need to get done. Creating a hierarchy of what actually needs to be done each day can prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. You can also break down larger, intimidating tasks into smaller steps to help you feel more motivated to get started. Do your best not to shame yourself for what you haven’t done, but praise yourself for what you do get accomplished.

12. Try Light Therapy

Light therapy is best as an alternative or adjunctive treatment for depression.³ Light therapy involves daily exposure to artificial bright light, typically in the morning, delivered through a box equipped with fluorescent tubes, a reflector, and a diffusing screen.³

Light therapy is well suited for seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Less sun and daylight can impact mood and lead to depression during darker and colder times of the year. While research on the effectiveness of light therapy for non-seasonal depression is limited, it may be beneficial to try it when you struggle with getting out of bed when depressed. You can also purchase light boxes from many retailers to experiment with light therapy at home.

13. Incorporate Self-Compassion Practices

If you struggle with depression, you may speak down to yourself or be overly critical of errors or mistakes. Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness, understanding, and empathy you would offer to a loved one. It’s about cultivating a gentle and supportive relationship with yourself, especially during times of difficulty or when dealing with depression.

Here are some ways to practice self-compassion:

• Try a loving-kindness meditation
• Engage in gentle movement practices, like yoga, walking, or stretching
• Practice positive self-talk and affirmations throughout the day
• Eat and drink things that make your body and mind feel nourished
• Utilize deep breathing exercises to calm your mind and body
• Do one small act of self-care for depression
• Try supportive self-touches, like hugs or holds, to comfort yourself

Free Self-Care for Depression Worksheet

This worksheet is designed to help you practice a variety of specific self-care activities that can improve your depression.

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14. Journal About Your Emotions & Triggers

Regularly writing down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences can provide insight into your emotions and help you identify patterns and triggers related to your depression. Journaling is a powerful tool that can help you manage depression, increase self-awareness, and promote emotional well-being. There are also many journal prompts for depression if you’re unsure how to start.

15. Talk to a Therapist

Seeing a therapist can be crucial if you physically can’t get out of bed due to depression. Therapists receive training to provide guidance and tools to help reframe thoughts, explore the causes of your depression, develop coping skills for depression, and set achievable goals. Their expertise can empower you to develop a personalized plan for getting out of bed, establishing routines, and finding motivation even when depression feels overwhelming.

16. Utilize Creative Art Therapies

Depressed individuals may not feel like talking or know how to express their thoughts.  Psychodrama therapy, music therapy, and art therapy provide alternative outlets that can be just as powerful as talk therapy. Activities like drawing, painting, or crafting can provide an outlet for self-expression while listening to or creating music, which can positively impact mood and motivation.

17. Consider Medication

Antidepressants can be considered a first-line treatment option for depressive symptoms. These medications work by balancing certain neurotransmitter levels in the brain to help decrease depression and increase pleasant experiences and motivation. The main class of drugs is SSRIs, which prevent the brain from reabsorbing serotonin, allowing the neurotransmitter to stay longer between the synapses.

It is important to note that medication is not a cure-all. However, antidepressants can substantially help manage your mood and thoughts. Speaking to your medical provider or getting a medication evaluation from a psychiatrist are positive first steps toward understanding what medications might work best. Remember that these medications can take days or weeks to reach their therapeutic benefit. There are online psychiatrist options to help find providers in your area.

18. Seek Medical Advice

Sometimes, super low energy can indicate an actual medical problem, so if you’re having consistent trouble, it could be worth getting tested for vitamin deficiencies and/or thyroid problems. Try to be as honest as possible with your primary physician about your physical and mental health during each visit, as they tend to affect each other and can impact the proper course of treatment for you.

19. Let Yourself Have an Occasional Day in Bed

Depression shares similarities with a physical injury. An injury tells us to take it easy and seek medical support when necessary. Depression shows us that we must prioritize our mental health and possibly take it easy by staying in bed. However, be mindful of the balance between staying in and getting out of bed. Staying in bed can provide temporary relief but can also exacerbate feelings of isolation, worsen your mood, and impede your physical and social health.

How to Find Professional Support

Seeing a mental health professional who specializes in treating depression can be the key to feeling better. There are many different online therapy services for depression that make finding a therapist who specializes in depression easy and affordable. Platforms such as Talkspace or Amwell offer therapy services that are covered by insurance. They also provide psychiatry services for individuals who want to explore medication options for depression.