Find mornings a bit difficult

[HelloPossums]

Find it very hard to get up in the morning, and sometimes just want to block everything out and just stay in bed the whole day. Any advice please?

[Wolfiefan]

Sounds like me when I had depression.
Seek help.
Plan things to do each day.

[HelloPossums]

Thanks Wolfie. How are you doing?

[dinosaursandtea]

I found that getting everything ready the night before and having a proper bedtime routine made all the difference. And making sure you always have nice breakfast and shower stuff in - once you're out of bed, fed and dressed that's most of the battle over! Maybe save a book or a podcast you enjoy for your commute?

[HelloPossums]

Thanks dinosaurs I'll try that out :)

[Wolfiefan]

Much. Much better than I was!
I have a light alarm. Wakes me gently. I have a dog now who needs me to get up. I plan something into each day to look forward to. Exercise is my happy pill! Really helps me.

[HelloPossums]

Any other tips please on how posters get through mornings and waking up please? Would really appreciate it :)

[Tinkerbec]

I go into auto pilot. Switch my thoughts off and try not to dwell. Like I am watching someone else on TV doing it but really its me.
Overthinking is banned on a morning for me.

[lovelycuppateas]

I also felt like this when I was depressed - do you think that's a possibility?
Otherwise, yy to what dinosaurs said - bedtime routine etc. I also got a coffee maker on a timer, so the coffee is ready when I get up in the morning. This makes me feel ridiculously smug and makes getting up almost worth it

[JonnaSilvie]

I have to get up at five for work on weekday mornings, so I've had to get good at getting up properly in the mornings! These are some things I do:

I'm subscribed to a load of youtubers with "nice" content. Like lifestyle bloggers, illustrators who video themselves painting, interior designers, stuff like that. Every morning, my subscription box will have something in, so I play the new videos on my iPad while I put a load of laundry on, hang clean laundry up, make a cup of tea and stuff. I find that it's like really pleasant background noise, much better than radio breakfast shows or This Morning!

I plan in twenty mins where I can just sit down with a cup of tea in my living room and get my thoughts in order for the day, usually by writing a little to-do list. If it's a dark morning, I usually light a couple of candles and get cosy on the couch whilst I do this, just be mindful of falling back to sleep!

I have a proper shower in the mornings, otherwise I don't feel like I'm properly awake and ready. I try to use either scented stuff or a textured scrub to get the blood moving round properly so my body knows it's time to be awake and moving.

I organise all of my outfits for work on Sunday, so there's no faffing about in the morning choosing what to wear. I just move all of hangers with the clothes I want to one end of my wardrobe so I can just dive in and grab them.

Breakfast full of protein! Not just carbs, I can never start the day well with just toast, because I'm hungry again by the time my workday starts!

I drive, but still make my commute enjoyable by playing an audiobook in the car so I have something to look forward to when I have to set off (especially if the weather is miserable but my house is lovely and cosy and warm).

Result is, I love mornings now and have become a real morning person. Hope this helps!

[HellAintABadPlaceToBe]

I still hate getting up but I find uplifting music helps... It’s AC/DC for me (rhythmic, bouncy and gets my foot tapping!)

It’s worse this time of year as it’s so dark!!!

[CantChoose]

wolfie mentioned a wake up light. In the darker months mine is absolutely essential for me.
I’m not entirely sure that it’s just the getting out of bed part you’re struggling with but it def helps that. I no longer have to drag myself out in the winter!

[CrabappleCake]

Me when depressed. I'd suggest GP for a start.

Exercise helps me, I got stuff ready at night then got straight out if bed, exercise kit on and went for a walk or a run. It really helped. Have to force self though.

[eyerollingemoji]

I feel like this every morning. When my alarm goes off I think I can’t possibly get up and sort everyone out, do the school run and get myself to work but I drag myself out of bed and once I’m up I’m fine. I find opening the windows back door whilst I make breakfast wakes me up a bit more too.

As others said it is sometimes a sign of depression but for me it’s just the fact that I’m simply tired and would rather be in bed.

If you think you may be depressed you should see your GP.

Hope you’re ok

[ILoveMrDarcy]

I could have written your post. I find it so hard and it's not laziness.

I'm reading 'The 5 Second Rule' by Mel Robbins. Try it, she's great.

[user1471462115]

You all sound like you need Vitamin D levels checking.

Deficiency is really really common and exhaustion and low mood are symptoms.
Get a multi Vit with Vitamin D in it, and also get your levels checked.
Mine were still low even after a year of taking a multi Vit and I needed some big doses to sort it out

I bounce out of bed now my levels are back to normal.

[SaucyJack]

I don't know whether it applies to you or not, but cut right down on alcohol the night before. Specially red wine- the sulphites in it are a real killer.

I go through various feast/famine cycles with booze, and it really does make a difference the morning after.

[user1493413286]

When I feel low when I wake up i focus on the small next task; rather than thinking ahead to the whole morning I focus on getting in the shower, then drying my hair, then make up etc rather than thinking I need to get ready, eat breakfast, drive to work as I find that quite overwhelming. I also try to work something I enjoy into my morning routine like listening to music I like or watching 20 minutes of a tv show I like. It works for me.

[TheSockGoblin]

Water by the bed, make sure you're hydrated. Have a snack you can eat immediately on waking - sometimes people drop in blood sugar overnight and this makes it harder to get up - if you feel significantly better after a hot brink with sugar etc then blood sugar could be a problem for you.

Also - subliminal sleep sessions which you can play all night and say stuff about restful sleep and waking up energised - I use one by a guy called Thomas Hall on youtube (wake up energised) and it makes a huge difference to me.

If you're worried about the day and facing it, then yea one small task at a time is a great way to get going.

[TheSnowFairy]

Straight into the shower is a good way to start the day for me.

[RiseToday]

Are you me?!

At this very moment I am lying in bed feeling sick with absolutely no motivation to do anything. This happens most days at the moment.

Thankfully my husband is around to help today. I am depressed and I'm fairly certain that my demanding child is a BIG factor in all of this.

[pollyhampton]

I really struggle in the morning even though I've got up at the same time (6.30) for years! The only thing I find that helps is to get up as soon as I wake up, normally I need a wee anyway so that helps. Then I make a cup of tea and get in the shower while I wait for it to cool down. Lots of routine as well, we all have to be out of the house before 8am so we have got the times down to expert level. It is hard though, you have my sympathies.

[redexpat]

Wake up light.

[TheCraicDealer]

I second (third? fourth?) the wake up light. They’re not cheap, my Phillips Lumie was £50, but worth every penny. It’s pretty much an essential in the winter months for me. DSis and I have both converted our sceptical DHs as well. It’s just so much less grim not having the gritty eye sensation and blinding yourself turning on the big light.

[blueblah]

I'll echo what other posters have said. Some great advice here.

Also there's a book called "the miracle morning" which is pretty cool and might make you view mornings completely differently! buy it and read it!

also the Lumie light (or similar wakeup daylight bulb light).

get to bed earlier (when you're tired) and get up at a similar time most days - makes it easier.

if you're depressed, a technique I call "chunking" helps me when I am worried about dealing with certain problems / issues that seem insurmountable. E.g. identify the very first small step then do it, then work out the next one. Don't focus on the bigger picture just the small steps, one by one. Helps it seem easier and you are less likely to be demotivated by the supposed enormity of the problem. You can also refocus on your achievements rather than what you haven't done / needs to be done.