What Do You Do When You Don’t Even Feel Like Getting Started

You Need to Do One of Two Things

I’ve written about the importance of a morning routine, and what to do when you lack motivation, and you can link to those below. But what if you can’t even get started? What do you do on those mornings when you are still lying in bed and don’t feel like getting up? You’re not sick, you’re unmotivated. Maybe you’re burned out. When you have a morning like that you absolutely have to do one of two things.

• Do Nothing
• Do Something

I’ll tackle the first one first as it is the easiest. Simply do nothing. Give into it. You can’t do this one often because it can lead to some nasty habits and dig a hole you can’t get out of.

But, every once in a while, do nothing. I call it a mental health day. It is better if it is planned. That way, you have something to look forward to, and you can schedule it to happen before burnout sets in. I’ll discuss that below. However, there will be days when you just lie there looking between the ceiling and the clock, trying and failing to get started.

Just do nothing. Lie there for a while dozing and enjoying being lazy. When you do generate the energy to get up, stagger over to your computer, open your task manager, and move everything into tomorrow, except for things you consider fun or absolutely essential.

Then, have a day. Go back to bed. Take a long hot bath. Veg out in front of the TV. It doesn’t matter, as long as it adds up to a big fat nothing.

If you are going to have one of these days, however, there are two essential elements. First, you have to abolish all thoughts of guilt over your day. That would defeat the purpose of a mental health day. This should be a cleansing, not a guilt trip. And you can get away with that because of the second thing. Everything you moved into tomorrow gets done tomorrow. This, of course, means that tomorrow is going to be a tough day.

But not today.

The other way you can approach a day like this is to do something. Take a tip from my second article, pick one thing, and do that. It doesn’t even have to be something from your regular morning routine; in fact, it would be better if it isn’t. Do you usually not make your bed? Then get up and make the bed up. That at least becomes a statement to yourself that you’re not going back to sleep.

Do you always make the bed? Then leave it sloppy and head into the kitchen. Eat something different. Is breakfast usually a bowl of cereal? Then today, cook an omelet. Whatever your regular morning routine is, bend it, but don’t break it. Just do one thing.

Once you’ve done one thing and gotten yourself moving, maybe think about doing just one more thing. Go take a look at your to-do list for today. Pick the easiest thing on the list and tackle that. This isn’t a day to swallow the frog. This is a day to nibble on a light snack. Just do one more thing.

By the time you finish with that, you will feel one of two ways. Maybe your usual energy will have kicked in. You’ve gotten over the immense hurdle of getting out of bed and doing something. This may give you enough momentum to do one more thing. And then another.

Or, you say, screw it. You’ve done enough. You didn’t want to get out of bed, and you’re no more ready to take on the day now. You tried number two. It didn’t work.

Go back to your list. Move everything that doesn’t have to be done today into tomorrow. Clear your calendar and your mind. You’ve permitted yourself to give in to that mental health day. It’s okay.

But maybe… just do one more thing. It won’t be so bad, and it will make tomorrow better.

Just one more thing.

Then, maybe take a look at combining these two strategies. This would be ideal. Take a look at today and tomorrow. Every task that has to be done, or you can manage to get through, moves into today — especially things you can do by rote. You don’t feel like doing them, but you can get through them, like mowing the lawn or going to the market.

Everything else gets spread out over the next few days. Or skipped. You dusted last week; you can skip a week.

See where we’re going here? You’re on the edge of burnout, but not quite there, so plan a mental health day for tomorrow. When you get to the market, buy ingredients for a lavish breakfast. And ice cream. Rent some movies and buy a book or three. Pick up something to go into a hot tub of water.

Now, here’s the thing. You now know that tomorrow is going to be great. But that makes today pretty good too. You’ve got your mojo back. You’re highly motivated. Not to do your normal stuff, but to clear a path for tomorrow. You will probably get a lot more done today than you thought possible.

You’re running on the promise of tomorrow. And that’s what a mental health day is all about. Except now, you really have two mental health days. And one of them is actually productive.

When you get ready for bed, unplug the clock and turn off your phone. Close all the curtains. Maybe go ahead and take a preemptive hot bath. If you’ve done everything right and prepared mentally for tomorrow, you will probably have your best night’s sleep in a long time.

And tomorrow, you will wake refreshed and ready to take on…

Nothing at all.