AIBU to ask for advice - struggle to get up early on days with no plans/work

[Frustratedflatmate]

I struggle to wake up at a reasonable time on days when I have nothing on (no plans or work). I would really like to consistently get up earlier, to make the most of my days off.

I don’t think I’m depressed, although I have felt a bit flat and not in a great mood at various points this past year, as I’m sure a huge amount of people have.

I think I struggle to get up when I have no plans as it just seems a bit pointless. Any tips on how to manage this and to get up earlier please? Thanks!

I have clinical depression and I find 3 things help;

1. Use a daylight (cool blue) light bulb in a reading lamp every evening for at least 2 hours.
2. Timetable my day, write it down. So at 10am I'm doing an hours gardening.
3. Eat properly and take a vitamin supplement, including magnesium and vitamin D.

Try it for 4 weeks and see if it helps.

This might be a stupid question but do you need to get up early on days off? I would always have a lie-in and slouch around on days off, especially during lockdown when there isn't much to do

I have anxiety and on my days off (especially if it is a week that DD is at her dads) I really struggle to get up because I find myself lying in bed and just scrolling through social media and then next minute its nearly lunchtime.

However, I find that if I physically get out of bed then I am more likely to get up and stay up. So on those days I do things like put my phone on the other side of the room etc to make myself get up. Also I schedule things with timers so I will put the laundry in the machine the night before and set a delay timer so that it starts in the morning and is done at around the time I am waking up so that I have to get up to hang it on the airer.

Have something enjoyable planned at say 9am - a phone call to someone who's up and not at work (retired relative maybe) or meet someone for a walk at a set early time (someone who already walks at that time - dog owner maybe).

Are swimming pools open where you are? Start your day with an early swim.

Or timetable an enjoyable day starting with a bath if you enjoy them at 8am followed by your favourite cooked breakfast - fried egg on toast, ready to bake croissant or ready to bake crusty bread rolls... Something worth getting up for.

Failing that coffee machine with a timer - those must still exist? Coffee waiting for you downstairs at 8am...

Get dressed before entering any room except bedroom and bathroom if youre prone to not getting dressed and falling back into bed. Make that a deeply ingrained house rule for yourself.

Why bother though? I'd enjoying the lay in