Tag: positive choices

Alarm clocks: friend or foe?

Is it hard to get out of bed in the morning? Maybe you’re exhausted, you’re depressed, your allergies are acting up, you dread getting up because you hate your job…whatever the reason is a lot of people have a hard time getting out of bed.

There are many ways to force yourself to get up, but if it feels like punishment you’re not being kind to yourself. Booming alarm clocks that startle you awake are effective, but what a crappy way to wake up! Setting the alarm clock across the room might also force you to get up, but then do you hit snooze and get back under the cozy covers and repeat until you’re really tired and really late for work?

As with almost any obstacle, you can find options that encourage and support you instead of bullying yourself. Celebrate small wins. If you wake up tomorrow and feel like you can’t get out of bed, I bet you can sit up and lean against your pillows – that’s a start. Then maybe flip the light on. Then you might try grabbing your smartphone off the nightstand and start answering work emails until your brain is engaged enough to get up.

These or any one of a hundred creative ideas or small steps could be the solution to leaving the comfort of your bed to start your work day.

During the last two weeks I’ve been focused on a big project that required more working hours and energy than is ideal for me. I was extra tired in the morning, but still wanted to get up and get right to work. I needed a boost, but was determined to find a positive solution that felt like I was being helpful to myself – not mean.

Waking up and smelling the coffee.

This is how my Keurig coffee pot ended up on my nightstand.

I filled the water reservoir before I went to sleep. When my alarm clock went off, I either hit snooze or turned it off. But I also leaned over and turned on the Keurig, put in a coffee pod, and started brewing. Even if I was still lying down, I associate the smell of fresh coffee with getting moving in the morning and my mind started waking up. When the cup was brewed, I had little creamers ready to go. I couldn’t drink my coffee lying down, so I had to sit up. From there, it was much easier to take the cup of coffee into the bathroom and start getting ready for work. If you haven’t had coffee in the shower yet, you’re missing out!

Whatever you experiment with to make your obstacles easier, I hope you do it in a way that is fun and supportive.

Rest well my sleepy friends, and wake with ease and a positive start to your day.