How to Find the Motivation to Get Out of Bed

Have you ever had a morning where, no matter what you do, you can't muster up the energy (and courage) to get out of bed and start the day? Has it become a morning routine of sorts for you to wake up, think about your to do list, and just roll over to fall asleep again? If this has been going on for a while, there may be an underlying cause keeping you from getting out of bed.

Where's this inertia coming from? Is it just a sign of how much you love sleep? Or is it tiredness from a late night? It could just be the weather – cold and rainy days make it difficult to abandon the cozy comfort your warm sheets give you.

If you want to make getting out of bed easy, the first step is to find that missing morning motivation. Read on to learn more about how you can do this!

Remember – if you're having a really hard time getting out of bed, there could be other reasons for that too. Chronic fatigue, burnout, grief, loneliness, or mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety could all have this effect. (A note here – mental health conditions should never be self-diagnosed, even if you experience common symptoms. Always seek the help of a licensed medical professional to understand them). Seek professional help if you suspect you need more than just motivation!

14 strategies to help you get out of bed

Get accountability

It may sound silly, but having someone check on your sleep and wake-up times can help you get out of bed. Have a family member or friend you know will help ensure your well-being check up on you in the mornings to see whether you've started your day.

If you don't want to involve family and don't need someone to literally drag you out of bed, or call you to wake you up, then there are other alternatives! Accountability partner services like Boss as a Service (that's us!) can help you set specific, proof-based goals that will force you to sleep and wake up on time and get started on your daily goals. We may not be your alarm clock, but we'll take you to task if you don't wake up on time!

Set an alarm

If you think a simple push to wake up early would help, go the classic way of setting an alarm on your phone – or better yet, if you want to keep your phone away to avoid distractions, get an alarm clock. If possible, set the alarm ringtone as a sound that you don't like too much and would be motivated to quickly turn off by waking up. But also, don't put in a ringtone that will get you in a bad mood as soon as you wake up!

We all know the trick with the alarm clock is to put it a little far away – the other side of the room, maybe outside the room. This way, you can't hit snooze and retreat into your blankets. You'll be forced to get out of bed, getting the system moving a little bit.

Light Therapy - Add lots of light to the room

Waking up to a dark, cold room can be quite demotivating, especially if your primary light source for most hours of the day and night is the blue light from your phone and laptop screens. So set up your room in a way that allows natural light to flow in and help your body clock remember and re-energize your body and mind.

Put on motivational music

Speaking of music, why not jig your laptop or music player to start playing upbeat, inspiring music at a set time every morning, to help you get up with a smile on your face? You can also get creative and put on a podcast, a morning "good news" show, or an audiobook to help you get pumped for the day. Just don't make it too distracting that you can't get ready while listening!

Plan your breakfast

Is it just me who loves planning my breakfast?

Breakfast doesn't have to be a rushed meal, eaten in a frazzled hurry, while you're commuting. To get that motivation to get out of bed, make your mornings something to look forward to. Make a proper breakfast plan every evening, for the next day. Figure out whether you want French toast and coffee, a breakfast burrito, or cereal before you go to sleep. This way, when you wake up, the thought of breakfast will not only get you out of bed, you'll also start the day right, with peace, quiet and more energy.

Figure why you have trouble falling asleep

Figure out if your trouble is really waking up on time. Or is it just that you find it hard to wake up in the mornings because you're not getting enough sleep?

Do you go to sleep at a respectable hour? Or are you up till 4am playing games or scrolling on your phone? Do you do revenge bedtime procrastination?

Either way, you should strive to focus more on getting to sleep, not just to bed, so that you wake up the next morning feeling fresh.

Take small steps

No change comes easy or overnight. So if you've been having trouble finding the motivation to get out of bed for a while, you need a long-term strategy to reverse it. So start small – for a week, just train yourself to get up at a certain time, even if you fall right back to sleep. This will help you reset your body clock. Then after that, wake up and sit up, then put your feet down, and so on. Soon you'll evolve a routine, bit by bit, to get out of bed.

Plan positively for the day ahead

If you're going through a phase when there's not much interesting going on, or if you don't enjoy the work you're doing, then you're less likely to recruit the energy to start the day right. So try to bring some positivity and cheer.

Two things can help with this – first, consciously try to add one fun to do to your list every day. This could be big or small – checking out a new coffee shop you've walked past, treating yourself to a new book, or grabbing a drink with a friend. Making time for new experiences ensures you have plenty to look forward to all the time.

Second - spending 5 minutes a day focusing on all the good things that have happened so far and what you hope will happen that day will start the day on a positive note.

A Pet will make sure you're up

There are a ton of peer reviewed studies that show that having a pet improves happiness and mood. The fringe benefit? They make sure you become a morning person!

If your own food needs aren't enough, if you happen to have a pet, they will push you for theirs! You may be able to suppress your hunger in the mornings, but your furry/feathery/scaly friend will need breakfast as well as a bit of exercise, so they'll make sure you're up on time to take care of them.

Set an appointment

Fix a standing morning appointment each day that would require you to leave your bed. It could be a breakfast meeting, a yoga class, or a morning phone call with a friend or colleague. The thought that someone is waiting for you should be a good nudge to get you ready on time, and set you up for a productive day.

Hint: a lot of our users have had good results from booking a Focusmate session first thing in the morning, to make sure they wake up on time!

Plan a break later in the day

If you're not getting enough sleep at night, try to get in a small nap or resting time during the day to help you get the break you need and reset your focus as you go about your work.

Revisit your goals/tasks

Not being able to get up might be a symptom of something else. If your work or life goals right now keep zapping your motivation, it may be time to revisit them.

Write down all you have achieved and want to accomplish, and figure out whether you're going about things the right way.

If there are things on your list that are draining your energy, consider if they need to be there. Are they relevant any longer? Is it something you truly want? If it is, is it possible to delegate it to someone else? You'll be surprised how many things you can get rid of this way. And a fresh, clean list full of relevant goals is easier to wake up to, rather than a neverending, guilt-inducing list of old goals that remind you of how many times you've procrastinated on them.

Try these tips to muster up motivation if there is something you really don't want to do but have to.

Step out for some air and light

When you wake up, try to make it a habit to go out into the sunlight for five minutes to get some exercise into your bones – even if it is just standing on the balcony while drinking your coffee or tea. The sunshine and fresh air will leave you feeling more awake.

Focus on your physical and mental health

If no other strategy seems to work, your lack of motivation to get out of bed may be a sign of a health condition, Seek professional help and support for your well-being to make sure you're in a happy and productive zone.

How BaaS helps find motivation

Boss as a Service is the accountability partner service to help you find the drive you need. Our Bosses, real people who check in with you every day, can help you set proper sleep and wake-up goals. And we'll follow up daily, to make sure you're on track and making progress. We also partner up with Beeminder to give you double accountability if you need it.

If you think organizing your goals and daily routines will help you sleep better and keep you motivated, we're here as a friend, guide, and helpful sounding board!

Final thoughts

Finding the motivation to get out of bed can be difficult, but with a few small, simple strategies, you can set yourself up for a future of happy and productive mornings!

Looking for more on motivation? We got you!

• Why Do I Procrastinate - an interactive quiz we made to explain how motivation works, and to fix what's holding you back right now
• The Best Books to Read About Procrastination Right Now