How do you get out of bed?

[Sras]

I have no job, no hobbies, my rabbits eat hay that is well stocked before I go to bed so I know they won't starve. 

There is nothing.  every day.

Idk what to do 

[jt07]

Some days it's tough to get out of bed, and having to go to the bathroom helps. While I'm up, I make coffee and take my Ritalin. So I guess my answer would be coffee and Ritalin.

Could you develop some hobbies? Also, isolation is very bad for depression or so my pdoc keeps telling me. Do you have any friends?

[Cerberus]

Sras -

On the days when getting out of bed is a serious problem, I don't try to get out of bed.  I try to move one leg out of bed, which is somewhat easier.  If I can do that (not a guarantee) then I work on doing the other one.  If I can get them both out, I work on sitting up - no commitment, just sitting up.  If I can make it to sitting up with my legs off the bed, I basically shame myself into trying to stand up, because I know I can at least stand up.  If I can stand up, I point out to myself that I'm out of the bed, and I might as well take a few steps forward and do something.

It isn't easy.  It can be a battle the whole way.  But cutting the task up into smaller bits can make it doable, in my experience.  Just a little at a time.

One other thought:  You might consider shifting the rabbits' chow time to morning.  It sounds like you care about them, so the fact that they depend on you to feed them might be the incentive you need to get you up and moving.

Edited June 24, 2015 by Cerberus

[Nystagmus]

I try to maintain at least 1 or 2 hobbies.  If you have a computer you can download a Linux LiveCD and burn it to CD-ROM and then try out Linux without affecting your hard drive.  If it turns out you like it, it can be a decent hobby for several months, trying out different versions of Linux.  I recently made the full transition from Windows to Linux.  I use Ubuntu Studio Linux and it worked out really well.  It requires learning but if learning reduces depression and boredom then it's good. 

Also I download some freeware image editing programs such as PhotoFiltre.  With a camera it can be fun to edit the photos and change the colors and whatnot.  They print up nicely. 

I know this isn't a perfect solution, but it's something. 

The other stuff I do is my case manager got me hooked up with a supporter who helps me travel to buy groceries and is an exercise partner.  It helps.  I only see him once per week, but it helps get me out and active a bit.  Also, I attend an arts and crafts group sponsored by the local mental health clinic.  It meets a few times per month, but it's worth it to get out. 

Other ideas... http://meetups.com for finding people with similar interests in your home town...

[Hopelessly Broken]

 Food. That's how. Plus bathroom. Besides that, I stay in bed. 

[HAL9000]

I got into walking up to the nearby gas station.  I would say "HI" to the lady buy a paper and walk home.  Having a place to go helps.   Routine for me I think.  Then I started reading books while walking.  I can walk forever if I'm reading or listening to something good.  I started doing projects at home.  Then I started doing some work from home projects that keep me busy.   I do techo geek stuff.   Talking to friends helps a lot but I'm not a huge fan of the phone.  

[Southern Discomfort]

I sort of have difficulty with this but for different reasons at the moment. I find everything feels like I'm dragging around this weight and it's not until I have myself a cup of coffee that I find this weight to be alleviated. I'm pretty sure this is to do with my medication and not depression - which, apparently, I've had. But then afterwards I don't know what to do with myself because, again, my medication for the most part, has made me lose a lot of interest in the one major thing in my life that I could sink ungodly amounts of time into: computer games. Nowadays I'm obsessing over things I think I might have and that's how I get through the way, trying to figure myself out, trying to learn about myself from conditions I haven't even been diagnosed with yet. And talking to people on this site.

What I think is important is to find something that lightens you early in the morning, whether it's having a cup of coffee with your breakfast, showering or listening to a bit of music. I believe it's those first few hours which can determine the rest of your day, and I think that's been scientifically proven too. 

Edited June 24, 2015 by Southern Discomfort

[IcePrincess88]

Netflix has always been the answer for me. I suppose people could watch that in their bed, but I don't. I leave my computer downstairs on the table right next to the door, and when I get up I take my computer outside and sit on the porch and watch Netflix, come to this website, various other web-surfing. I don't know why, but I really like to be outside. If I'm not sleeping, then I'm outside on the porch. Maybe it's the fresh air or not being enclosed in a house, but year-round, regardless of the temperature, I will still find a way to be outside. When my computer needs charging, then I switch it out for my Ipod Touch, that can do pretty much anything I was doing on my computer. This is just what works for me.

[Cerberus]

Netflix has always been the answer for me. I suppose people could watch that in their bed, but I don't.

Danger - Note that IcePrincess has a system for this, the key to which is leaving the computer somewhere besides the bed.  If your computer/tablet/tv is within reach of the bed, this a a foolproof method to stay in bed all day long.

[IcePrincess88]

Netflix has always been the answer for me. I suppose people could watch that in their bed, but I don't.

Danger - Note that IcePrincess has a system for this, the key to which is leaving the computer somewhere besides the bed.  If your computer/tablet/tv is within reach of the bed, this a a foolproof method to stay in bed all day long.

I absolutely agree with this. I wouldn't, and don't, even keep my computer in my room. I make sure that I have to come downstairs, get it from the table by the door, then take it outside and enjoy it. I live in a VERY rural area, so it's just very soothing to be outside with all the trees, fields, and plants. It's pretty seldom a car drives by, so it's nice and quiet. 

[koa]

Some things I've tried:

Scheduling appointments or jobs regularly for early in the morning so I HAVE to get up and get going

Set multiple alarm clocks in areas of the room that require me to get up 

Go to a coffee shop regularly every morning to have something to look forward to and a caffeine boost

Buy a coffee pot that has a timer and make it so I have a pot of coffee ready and waiting on me in the morning 

[Wooster]

I put my alarm clock across the room so I have to get out of bed to shut it off. Bonus points if it has a puzzle lock on it.

I also have a dog who needs to be fed and pottied in the morning, so that helps as well.

Making commitments to people that I will keep (ie volunteering at a food bank or community garden, senior center, etc.) was also something that helped me get going because I don't like to let other people down when I say I will be there to help.

[Rabbit37]

Definitely pets, since it's summer right now and kids are out of school. The dogs need to be let out, hearing that makes the birds come to life, wanting to be uncovered. The cats are tripping me up, because their food bowl is empty. The dogs want in, eat breakfast, then want back out again, then want back in again. By then it's light outside.

I need to figure out how to get up when I wake. I only get 2 or 3 hours, but I am stubborn, and will lay there in the dark for hours.

[Sras]

I can't do anything that costs money regularly... even if it is just going out for a coffee/tea (I don't drink coffee...). The biggest issue I have is that I can go without food for a long time. Quite happy to skip a day if I'm in a state not to get out of bed. My rabbits get me out of bed eventually but I generally just feed them, go to the bathroom and then don't know what to do, start to feel hopeless and just go back to bed. I have some friends that I'm living with but they generally leave me alone if I'm not up. It's not a support situation, as supportive as they try to be. I try lots of things but then it comes to it and if I have nothing to do I'll just stay in bed anyway. Doesn't matter if the phone or computer are somewhere else, I just lie there and hate myself.

I tried to look for free counselling etc but came up with nothing (South Australia). I'm not eligible for it here because I moved interstate and already signed up for it in the last state. Then I tried an online chat helpline thing and was just waiting in the queue for several hours. Today I got up for a car ride around midday but it's not the norm. 

If I could find a hobby that other people relied on me to show up but didn't cost any money that might work but I don't know that those exist. 

[Southern Discomfort]

I can't do anything that costs money regularly... even if it is just going out for a coffee/tea (I don't drink coffee...). The biggest issue I have is that I can go without food for a long time. Quite happy to skip a day if I'm in a state not to get out of bed.

If you want to look at it objectively then that's the first thing you need to look at. I'm not one for eating food all that much either which probably aided me in becoming depressed. Thankfully, when I got on my atypical antipsychotic medication I started craving food and was enjoying food. Are you on anything right now? Might be something you could ask your doctor about. Food will play a major part in getting yourself energy, obviously, and lessen the weight of depression; don't underestimate it. If you don't want to drink coffee for whatever reason then really consider breakfast and consider some fruit, I like raisins because they aren't such a big commitment; if you can't manage a whole packet, then you can just put it back for later.

Edited June 27, 2015 by Southern Discomfort

[Micho]

The bathroom. Then I hop back into bed. Most days I don't get dressed. I have been mixing my Herbalife tea before bed so I have it to drink as soon as I wake up. That gets me moving from a snail pace to a turtle

[Ruins]

I can't do anything that costs money regularly... even if it is just going out for a coffee/tea (I don't drink coffee...). The biggest issue I have is that I can go without food for a long time. Quite happy to skip a day if I'm in a state not to get out of bed. My rabbits get me out of bed eventually but I generally just feed them, go to the bathroom and then don't know what to do, start to feel hopeless and just go back to bed. I have some friends that I'm living with but they generally leave me alone if I'm not up. It's not a support situation, as supportive as they try to be. I try lots of things but then it comes to it and if I have nothing to do I'll just stay in bed anyway. Doesn't matter if the phone or computer are somewhere else, I just lie there and hate myself.

I tried to look for free counselling etc but came up with nothing (South Australia). I'm not eligible for it here because I moved interstate and already signed up for it in the last state. Then I tried an online chat helpline thing and was just waiting in the queue for several hours. Today I got up for a car ride around midday but it's not the norm. 

If I could find a hobby that other people relied on me to show up but didn't cost any money that might work but I don't know that those exist. 

Can you spare gas money? I had a volunteer job for a number of years (when I was working) on Sundays. I just went in for three hours a day and answered a very quiet switchboard. Mostly I played with my netflix queue or read when I was there but it got me out of the house. I live in the States and here it is easy to get volunteer gigs during the week, weekends or nights are hard unless you like people (or more often like children or old people).

I'm almost in the same boat except I can get out of bed and I have poor food from when I qualified for food stamps before my unemployment kicked in so I have food to eat. I wish I could not eat. I hate eating, always have. Digressing, sorry. I understand about not being able to get counseling. I'm there too. I might be able to see a counselor at school in a couple months but that really isn't going to help me in the here and now.  I personally can't do hobbies. I don't have the attention span and they cost too much but if it's something where I feel it's a job that I have to do, then I can be responsible - perhaps not stable, but responsible.

I hope you find something.