Self Care for Days You Can't Get Out of Bed

Have you had one of those days where you just can’t seem to make yourself get out of bed?

Just like our physical health, our mental health can wax and wane. Some days we feel better than others. And some days we feel awful and the thought of even trying to get out of bed feels like too much. 

Is self care really that important then?

Short answer? Yes! 

Long answer: there is a difference between self care and self soothing. Self soothing might be what you think of when you first hear the term “self care” but they are actually different! Self soothing is about providing comfort and soothing to yourself in the moment, whereas self care is about proactive care for yourself that actually has a noticeable impact on your life. Self care would be things like getting proper sleep, feeding yourself at least 3 times a day, staying hydrated, refilling your prescriptions, getting outside etc. 

This means that self care, while crucial to our health, is not always fun. Which means that it might be hard to get yourself motivated to get up and do it on those days that you just can’t seem to get out of bed. 

So how can you take care of yourself on those days?

Be gentle with your morning routine:

What is your usual morning routine? Do you have one? If it’s elaborate, it might make getting out of bed hard. On days like this, don’t commit yourself to the whole routine–that’s signing yourself up for way too much right at the start of your day, and you will need to ease in a bit. Instead, prioritize what really needs to be done, and just do those things, and be slow and gentle with yourself as you get them done. For example, do you need to make your bed today? Do you need to shower? Or can you let yourself skip those things today in exchange for getting something to eat, and moving to the couch instead of the bed?

Find an accountability/encouragement buddy:

If you know someone else in your life also struggles in this way sometimes, they may be a good person to pick! No matter who you pick, it needs to be someone you trust and are comfortable being a little vulnerable with. This accountability buddy will be someone you can call or text on days like this when you can’t get out of bed, and they can offer you some external support. That could be gentle encouragement, or coming up with something for you to do to get you out of bed. You can brainstorm a list of things they could suggest (go for a walk around the block, go get a glass of water, open the blinds, etc.) so that you know it won’t be more than you can handle!  

Have something to tend to: 

If you have a pet, while it can be hard to get out of bed, you might find that eventually the pet can make it impossible to just stay in!  You need to get up and feed them and get them water because they can’t tend to themselves–and often they won’t leave you alone until you do get out of bed to tend to them! 

If you’re not ready for the commitment of a pet (not everyone is! It’s a lot of work!) you can get something lower maintenance that still requires care like a plant. With a plant you still have something living to tend to, without as much responsibility. You still need to check on it, give it water, make sure it gets sunlight, etc. It can also be a nice way to make sure you’re getting enough sunlight too, since making sure your blinds or curtains are open to allow more light into your home on a regular basis. 

Keep water + snacks on nightstand

Get in the habit of filling a glass of water and setting it on your nightstand before you go to bed. Then when you get up, even if you can’t make yourself get out of bed, drink the entire glass of water. This accomplishes both: hydrating yourself and, eventually, making you get up out of bed because eventually you will need to use the bathroom. It’s also a good idea to keep something easy to munch on in your nightstand–something like granola bars that are high in protein. Then, you can make sure you’re nourishing yourself even if you can’t get out of bed. 

If you're looking for more support managing depression, our therapists are trained in modalities like cognitive behavioral therapy (cbt) to help you move from feeling hopeless to feeling empowered.