Kick Procrastination to the curb. 5 ways to actually get you out of bed.

I get it. We’re knee deep in the cold months of the year. The last thing you want to do early in the morning is jump out of your cozy bed into an arctic of a house. Being productive, changing out of your warm pajamas, and starting the day can stay in 2022!

However, 2023 brings new changes, goals, healthier habits, and more “me time”. But here’s the thing, there’s only so much time in a day to get these things done outside of our normal routine of career, family, and other obligations. So unfortunately, the wee morning hours is the prime time to make life happen for you.

And that’s the main predicament. You want more me time. You want to get up early and start the day. You might even set the alarm and attempt to get the worm! But when those morning hours creep up and that gentle (or firehouse) alarm starts ringing, all your will power goes out the window. “I’ll start tomorrow” becomes the narrative out of your lips.

So how do we make this change? How do we ACTUALLY get out of bed? And my friend, that’s why I’m here to help. Below are five tips on how to get that bottom out of bed! Plus, I added some bonus tips to keep you out of bed and prime your mind for starting the day.

1. Glass of Water

Keep a glass of water on your nightstand or bedside table. The moment your eyes open and the morning dread guys, guzzle down the entire glass of water. Your brain chemistry will begin to move into action and slowly trick your body to wake up.

2. The Transition

This is my GO TO! works every time. You don’t need to be productive or accomplish any goals. All you need to do is transition to another cozy area of the house. For me, that means moving to the couch, turning on the living room lights and cuddling up with a blanket and my dogs. You can continue being cozy, but the transition to a new space tricks your brain into thinking your starting the day, while your body is still in dreamland.

3. Mindset

I like to keep things practical, but sometimes a motivational quote does the trick. When you’re snuggled in bed and struggling to get up, ask yourself “would I rather stay asleep with my dreams, or get up and make them happen?” Sometimes this question ignites a fire in your mind to make that hard first step.

4. Accountability

Whether it’s a workout class or getting coffee with a friend, find something that you can plug into the calendar. For me, that looks like scheduling a 6:30am Pilates class. If I sleep in and decide to skip, my bank gets charged $20 for skipping the class! Ain’t no chance that’s going to happen. There is accountability built into this structure that gets me out of bed every time!

5. Have a List

Whether you want those early morning hours for peaceful me time, or you need them to be productive, you’ll want to make a list the night before of the things you want to do in the morning. Having those listed out takes the thinking away and makes the doing much easier. Plus, you can even place some of those items out the night before so they are the first thing you see in the morning. Example: workout clothes, bible, or have your coffee prepped.

Hopefully one or more of those suggestions help get you out of bed. You might be up and out of bed, but really craving to jump back. I wanted to add some bonus tips to keep you up and out of those cozy sheets.

1. Brush your teeth

2. Splash water on your face

3. Take a shower

4. Open the blinds and turn on the lights

5. Put day clothes on

6. Step outside

At the end of the day (or beginning ;) ) you’re going to have to get up out of bed no matter what. You can either struggle, make excuses, and feel guilty about snuggling the sheets longer. Or you can build some resiliency and mental calluses, and do the hard thing. Trust me, you’ll never regret it.