Waking Up Late Can Make Your Depression Worse

Many people talk about how great it feels to sleep in, but for people with depression, waking up late could actually be detrimental to depression recovery. Read this article to find out how a late wake-up time could be affecting you and tips for how to avoid waking up late because of depression.

Three Reasons Waking Up Late Can Be Bad for Depression

1. You Won't be as Productive If You're Routinely Waking Up Late Because of Depression

Many people start the day around 4 or 5 a.m. This early start to the day gives them a chance to do necessary tasks and/or work on goals. When they accomplish tasks early, it increases motivation and promotes positivity for the rest of the day.

Although waking up late does not necessarily destroy productivity, it pushes it back. A few minutes can become a few hours. Even if you do accomplish tasks, you might feel rushed and make more mistakes during the day (Productivity Habits for the Bipolar or Depressed Individual).

2. Your Academic or Professional Obligations Might Suffer

If you make a habit of waking up late, you might be late for work or school. Your boss, parents, or teachers might think you do not care. As a result, you could lose your job or fail a class. Getting fired or losing a credit for school can dramatically increase depression (Study: Depression From Job Loss Is Long Lasting).

3. You Might Not Appreciate the Little Things

Perhaps you feel guilty when you wake up late. You feel as though you have wasted the day. Even if you push yourself to get work done, it is easy to get lost in rumination over your guilt (What Is Rumination in Depression and How Do You Deal with It?). As a result, you might not acknowledge or appreciate your accomplishments.

Three Ways to Wake up Earlier

1. Write Down One Reason to Wake Up

Often times, we do not want to wake up in the morning because we do not see a reason. Depression makes everything seem pointless, and it rids us of motivation to do anything. If you feel depressed right now and cannot think of anything exciting, try to recall one thing that you did enjoy. Perhaps it was a sport, a hobby, or hanging out with a friend. Will any of those things serve a good purpose for your life again (Finding Purpose Helps You Cope with Depression)?

Perhaps the thought of doing something you used to enjoy or hanging out with an old friend will give you the motivation you need to wake up early and help relieve depression.

2. Create a Plan

If you desire a certain outcome, you have to know how to obtain it. If your mind is programmed to wake up late, it will not be easy to wake up early without a plan. While making a plan, you can decide when you are going to turn off technology. You can also set an alarm for when you want to be in bed. If music helps you wake up, set your morning alarm to your favorite song. After you brainstorm some ways to wake up earlier, write them down and put the list anywhere you will easily see it every day.

3. Ask a Friend to Keep You Accountable

Everyone needs help to make a change sometimes. If you have a close friend who knows about your struggle to wake up, it might help to ask him or her to send a wake-up text every morning. If it is hard for you to make an action plan, maybe a loved one can assist you and help you keep track of your progress.

To learn more about the struggle with waking up and how to find motivation, watch the video below.