Can’t Get Out of Bed With Depression? 10 Helpful Tips

Depressive disorders can disrupt every part of your day, starting with the moment you wake up. Learning how to get out of bed with depression may sound like a small step, but it can have a significant positive impact on your life.

At Time Wellness Georgia, we provide personalized outpatient care to ease the distress of depression and help our patients live healthier and more satisfying lives.

Learn more about depression treatment in Atlanta or verify your insurance now.

10 Tips for How to Get out of Bed With Depression

You’ve hit the snooze button way too many times. You should have already started getting ready for work. Yet you’re still flat on your back, overcome with exhaustion and searching for motivation. If this scenario sounds familiar to you, here are 10 tips for how to get out of bed with depression.

1. Be Consistent

It’s easier to get out of bed with depression when you’ve had a good night’s sleep. And one way to improve your sleep quality is to develop the habit of going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. 

Yes, this includes weekends and days off. (We didn’t make the rules, we’re just sharing what researchers have found to be to be best for your body and mind.)

The National Sleep Foundation has reported that the benefits of a consistent sleep schedule include also improved mental health, increased ability to manage stress, reduced risk of unsafe behaviors, and better heart health.

2. Practice Good Sleep Hygiene 

A November 2024 Frontiers in Sleep study reported that maintaining healthy sleep habits is “one of the most essential health-related decisions that humans make each day.”

Consistency isn’t the only habit that can improve your sleep quality and increase the likelihood that you’ll wake up feeling refreshed and better prepared to take on the day.

Other valuable sleep hygiene tips include:

• Try not to take naps during the day
• Keep your bedroom cool and dark
• Don’t eat anything heavy within about three hours of your bedtime 
• Don’t drink alcohol or caffeine for three or four hours before going to bed
• Stop using your phone and other electronics at least an hour before bed 

3. Let the Light In

When it’s time to get up, turn the lights on and, if the sun has already risen, open the curtains. 

An October 2025 study in the journal BMC Public Health reported that exposure to morning sunlight helps to align your internal circadian clock. One way it accomplishes this is by regulating your body’s production of melatonin, which is a hormone that plays a key role in the sleep/wake cycle. 

That study, which involved 1,762 adult participants, found that those who were exposed to natural sunlight before 10 a.m. scored significantly better on sleep quality assessments.

4. Set One Small Morning Goal

One reason why it can be so hard to get out of bed with depression is that you’re already dreading what the day holds in store for you. One way to counteract this negative mindset is to ensure that your day begins with at least one enjoyable moment or quick win.

Also, focusing on one small goal can shift your focus away from the perceived enormity of the challenges that lie in wait for you. 

Examples of morning goals:

• Going for a short walk
• Having a great cup of coffee or tea
• Watching the sunrise
• Writing in your journal 
• Spending a few minutes with your partner or pet

The substance of the goal isn’t important. What matters most is giving yourself something to look forward to first thing in the morning.

5. Get Organized at Night

Take care of as many morning tasks as possible before you go to bed. This can help dispel some of your morning dread and make the start of your day feel a bit less rushed.

Here are a few things you can do in the evening to make life easier for you the next morning:

• Decide what you’re going to wear and make sure everything is ironed and ready to go. 
• If you’re planning for a morning run or walk, put your shoes and other gear together in an easily accessible place.
• Load up your coffee maker and set the timer so you can wake up to the smell of a freshly brewed pot. 
• If you take lunch to work, make it and put it in the refrigerator.
• Write a list of your goals and tasks for the next day. 

6. Put Your Phone in Another Room

Yes, disconnecting from your phone was already mentioned in the “Practice Good Sleep Hygiene” entry. But the purpose of that advice was to reduce your exposure to blue light and give you time to de-stress before it’s time to fall asleep.

Putting your phone in a different room can be beneficial for a few different reasons:

• It removes the temptation to take a “quick peek” at your social media accounts if you’re having trouble getting to sleep or if you wake up in the middle of the night.
• If you like to check your messages first thing in the morning, you’ll have to get out of bed to do so.
• Even if starting the day by scrolling isn’t a prime motivator for you, setting an alarm on your phone and putting the phone in another room can be another way of forcing yourself to get up and get moving.

7. Be Accountable to Someone

Make a plan to meet a friend early in the morning for coffee, to take a walk, or for whatever other reason can motivate you to get out of bed. 

This strategy serves two purposes:

• Having an appointment for something that you’re looking forward to can help you overcome your morning inertia.
• You’re less likely to cancel a plan when someone else is counting on you to show up.

If your schedule doesn’t allow for early-morning activities, at the very least you can plan to call or text a friend (or have them call or text you) at a prearranged time to confirm that you’re out of bed. 

8. Exercise Regularly 

This doesn’t mean you should work out right before bedtime. In fact, vigorous exercise right before hitting the sack can actually lower your likelihood of getting a good night’s sleep.

Instead, make a habit of moving your body earlier in the day. Johns Hopkins Medicine has reported that just 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, such as going for a brisk walk or doing yoga, can improve your sleep quality that night.

As an added bonus, physical activity is a great way to cope with stress and release mood-improving endorphins, which in turn may ease your depression symptoms.

9. Give Yourself a Break

It takes time to get rid of bad old habits and develop healthier routines. So there’s a good chance that, at least in the early going, there will be times when you don’t follow the experts’ advice and find yourself stuck in bed long after you should have been up. 

There also may be days when you do everything you’re supposed to do, and you still struggle to get moving in the morning. 

If either of these scenarios occur, here’s what you need to do next: Forgive yourself. You should show yourself the same grace you would to a loved one who did something they regret.

Acknowledge that you came up short, see if you can identify what went wrong, and then get on with your life. Beating yourself up won’t change what’s already happened, but it could deepen your depression and derail the progress you’ve been making. 

Expecting perfection is setting yourself up for failure and frustration. Be kind to yourself, and don’t ever lose sight of just how far you’ve come.

10. Talk to a Professional

Perhaps the most important tip for how to get out of bed with depression is to find a way to minimize or manage your symptoms. 

Therapy can help you discover the underlying issues or experiences that contributed to your struggles with depression, then help you make the changes that can ease the impact that the disorder has had on your life. Depending on your specific circumstances, you may also benefit from antidepressants or other medication options.

A good first step toward finding the help you need is to consult with your doctor or schedule an assessment with a reputable treatment provider near you. If you’re in the Atlanta area, Time Wellness Georgia may be the perfect place to get started.

Find Depression Treatment in Georgia

Time Wellness Georga offers customized outpatient care for adults and adolescents with depression, other mental health disorders, and co-occurring addictions to alcohol and other drugs. 

Treatment options at our center in Atlanta, GA, include a partial hospitalization program (PHP), intensive outpatient program (IOP), evening IOP for adolescents, and virtual (online) care. 

In each program, you’ll work in active collaboration with a team of experienced and dedicated professionals. We understand the many ways that untreated depression can undermine your efforts to live a more satisfying life, and we’re committed to developing the personalized solutions that will put you on the path toward the healthier future you deserve.

Call 404-856-3426 today to learn more or verify your insurance now.