The Stress of Getting Out of Bed

"Scorpio: Stay inside. Don’t breathe."   – Dennis Miller

I hate getting out of bed.  It’s often the worst part of my day.  It’s even worse when my dreams have been so fabulous that real life pales in comparison.  So I get a lot of stress getting out of bed.  I can’t be the only one.  Over the years, I’ve been able (mostly) to deal with this stress.  Here are some tips on how to cope with the stress of getting out of bed.

Don’t Drink A Lot Before Going To Bed

The bladder is your internal alarm clock, but it can backfire on you if you drink a lot of water or herbal tea or alcoholic beverages before going to bed, hoping a full bladder will help getting out of bed easier.  Usually, all this means is you have to wake up a few times during the night, interrupting your sleep.  The worst is when you wake up a half hour before you need to get up, dying to go.  When you’re done, what’s the point in getting back in bed?  And you’ve lost a half hour of sleep.

Get A Pet

Almost any pet except a scorpion will greatly encourage you to get out of bed.  As soon as they suspect you are awake (but still have your eyes closed), they will whine, squeak, paw, bite the bars of their cages until you actually get up and feed them.  This is a great way to cut down on the stress of getting out of bed.  It leaves you with no choice.

Don’t Argue With Yourself

On the days you have off, or if you telecommute and really don’t need to use an alarm, you can still stress out before leaving your bed.  It feels so nice and cozy and the world outside is cold and far too busy.  What can you put off to stay in bed an extra ten minutes?  The deliberation inside your head can quickly bring up feelings of guilt ("I should get up") to panic ("Can’t I fake an aneurysm today just to stay in bed?").  Your life is stressful enough without arguing with yourself.  Just get up!


Have A Laugh

The first thing you think about in the morning when you wake up can help color your whole day.  This is not to put any pressure on you.  But it does help.  Perhaps you could pin up jokes or cartoons where you can see them from your bed, or next to your alarm.  (Like the Dennis Miller joke above for us Scorpios). This is another time having a pet can help you get out of bed.  My dog will roll on her back for a belly rub when she knows I’m awake.  It’s kind of hard for me to stay grumpy when I’ve got dog bellies to rub.


Hope this helps.