Too Depressed to Get Out of Bed? 13 Encouraging Tips to Motivate You

1. Light Therapy

Research shows that light therapy for depression can actually help improve our mood. Light therapy has proven effective in treating sleep problems and depression symptoms, which is known to affect circadian rhythms and sleep cycles.

You don’t even need a light box or any fancy, expensive equipment to see the positive effects light can have in helping you get out of bed every day. Even just opening the blinds to let natural light in might be just what you need to help you get up and out of bed today.

You don’t even need a light box or any fancy, expensive equipment to see the positive effects light can have in helping you get out of bed every day. Even just opening the blinds to let natural light in might be just what you need to help you against morning depression and get up and out of bed today.

2. Establish A Morning Routine You Enjoy

From our sleep habits to work life, we naturally thrive on schedules. If you’re constantly having sleep problems and feeling like you must drag yourself out of bed every day, that mental mindset might be contributing to why it’s so hard to get up in the first place. These negative thoughts can hold you back immensely and, in some cases, make your depressive symptoms worse.

Instead of focusing on those negative thoughts, which can ultimately lead to a stressed and rushed morning where you’re constantly feeling behind and in a low mood, try creating a routine that you can find joy in. Whether it’s meditating in the morning, doing a quick 10-minute stretch, making a fun breakfast, getting outside for a walk, or even getting a full 30-to-60 minute cardio workout in, giving yourself something you enjoy to look forward to might make it easier for you to begin your day.

3. Find A Reason to Get Out of Bed

If routines you enjoy can help motivate you, finding a fun or exciting reason to get out of bed in the morning might help even more. Maybe it’s a special breakfast or treating yourself to a fancy cup of coffee on the way into the office.

Giving yourself a reason to get up is always a good motivator against clinical depression. Positive reinforcement can be a great influencer and help you break the hold that I can’t get out of bed depression has on you.

4. Start Your Day with Baby Steps

If just the thought of swinging your legs over the edge of the bed feels overwhelming, keep in mind that you don’t have to take on the whole world at once. Take baby steps.

Be kind to yourself and have a plan with small, attainable, achievable tasks that are easy for you to take on, one at a time. Think in terms of 1-foot-in-front-of-the-other. This can be a great mindset if you’re trying to overcome your mood disorder and feeling depressed in bed. Start with something as small as getting a glass of water. Know that you’ll have a light breakfast just after that. Then move on to brushing your hair and teeth. Getting dressed might be after that.

Keep moving forward with these small, isolated tasks, one after the other, until your morning routine is complete and you’re ready to take on your day.

5. Let Your Appetite Draw You Out of Bed

Our bodies have a way of telling us it’s time to move forward. If you’re hungry, or if you‘re a person who really enjoys that 1st cup of coffee every morning, you might be tempted enough to actually get out of bed. The idea of a tasty breakfast might just spark your appetite. You might even discover that it’s a blueberry muffin and a glass of orange juice every morning that encourages you to get out of bed despite feeling depressed.

The idea of a tasty breakfast might just spark your appetite. You might even discover that it’s a blueberry muffin and a glass of orange juice every morning that encourages you to get out of bed despite feeling depressed.

6. Set More Than One Alarm

If the temptation to turn off your alarm and go back to sleep feels so strong that you can never get up the first time, consider setting more than one alarm, 5 to 10 minutes apart. You might need to set your first alarm earlier to allow for multiple alarms without you being late, but that can be easy to fix.

7. Make (and Stick To) A Schedule

When you don’t have a schedule in place, you might feel like you need to make constant decisions about every little thing. Creating and sticking to a schedule can be a highly effective stress management technique to implement into your mornings. Having set times to start and end tasks can be very helpful in reducing some of the morning dread you might be feeling.

Additionally, depression is known to have a significant impact on how well you can make decisions. Having that schedule set can help eliminate some of the decisions you need to make — from what to wear, to what to eat, and more.

8. Plan for the Occasional Day in Bed

We all have bad days from time to time. Some days can be worse than others. Plan ahead for the times you just can’t find it in yourself to jump out of bed and take on the world. It might be something as simple as throwing on some comfy clothes, having a special treat in the freezer for breakfast, or maybe even keeping face masks, lotions, or other at-home spa treatments readily available for those extra difficult times when you need a mental health day.

9. Call a Friend

Reaching out to connect with someone can significantly uplift your spirits. If you find yourself struggling to get out of bed due to depression, pick up the phone and call a friend. This doesn’t need to be a long conversation or a deep discussion about your feelings—sometimes, just a casual chat about everyday things can distract you from negative thoughts and lift your mood. 

It’s about feeling connected and remembered, which can make all the difference on a tough day. You could even make plans to meet up for coffee or a walk, adding a physical aspect to this connection, which can be even more beneficial.

10. Make Plans

Setting a plan for the day can act as a powerful motivator to get out of bed, especially when you’re struggling with depression. Planning goes beyond routine tasks; it involves setting intentions that excite and motivate you. 

Whether it’s planning a short walk in a nearby park, arranging your bookshelf, or starting a new project, having something specific to look forward to can provide a sense of purpose. These plans don’t have to be big or daunting—they can be as simple as deciding to draw, write a journal entry, or even organize your digital photos. The key is to choose activities that are both manageable and enjoyable, giving you something to aim for each day.

11. Reach Out for Help

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you might just feel too depressed to get out of bed. You should know that it’s OK if this happens. Recognizing the fact that your depression is getting worse, or that you’re no longer able to manage it on your own, is a huge step. If you’re starting to feel like the number of days your depression is making it hard to get out of bed is increasing and each depression symptom adds up, it might be time for you to reach out for help.

Not sure who to talk to about depression? You can talk to a loved one, a doctor or even an online therapist to ask for help. You might even find that just verbalizing how you’re feeling can be empowering. At the very least, you might be surprised to learn that you’re not the only person  who feels like they can’t get out of bed because of depression. Sometimes knowing that you’re not alone in how you feel, and that others are experiencing something similar, can be helpful.

12. Talk to A Mental Health Professional About Your Depression Treatment

Don’t let your mental health condition go on so long that it becomes debilitating. If you’ve tried all the tips we’ve given here today and you’ve talked to a friend or loved one about how you’re feeling, you should be proud. However, if you still seem to be struggling to figure out how to deal with depression, and being depressed in bed is becoming something that interferes with your daily life, you should consider talking to a mental health professional.

A doctor or therapist can help you come up with a new depression treatment plan or adjust your current one to help you manage depression and any depressive symptoms you’re dealing with. Make sure that you’re communicating with them so they know how severe your clinical depression has become. They can help you better understand what type of depression you’re dealing with or if other mental health conditions are affecting your energy levels.

It might be something as simple as adjusting the dosage or type of medication for depression you’re on, or it could also be a matter of finding the right combination of medication and therapy for depression.

13. Have a Mental Health Day & Stay In Bed

Remember that you don’t always have to be 100% on point. Maybe you‘re going through a depressive episode and need that mental health day today. Maybe staying in bed and watching a movie, reading, or catching up on emails and working from bed is exactly what your body and mind have been craving. Sometimes you just need to make self care a priority, and that’s OK.

We often convince ourselves that persevering is the most important thing, but sometimes it’s important to acknowledge the importance of taking care of our most basic needs, like rest and relaxation.

This essential part of self care and behavioral health is just as important as knowing how to get out of bed when depressed. In fact, it might be the best thing you can do, so tomorrow you can get out of bed just a little bit easier.