If You Have Trouble Getting Out of Bed, Try This Morning Hack (It Works!)

I'm a morning person. No, seriously. But, in addition to being a morning person, I'm also an anxious person. This basically means that before my feet even hit the floor every day, my mind is running rampant with an onslaught of thoughts; I think about possible scenarios I may encounter that day and every possible outcome, and I conjure up to-do lists in my head with an ambitious number of boxes that I then immediately worry won't get checked off. It's exhausting . . . enough to make me want to curl up and stay in bed forever, because I know the minute my feet do touch the floor, I'll have to put all those frantic thoughts into action.

Other people hate mornings with a fiery passion for different yet equally legitimate reasons; some need way more sleep than other people, some are night owls, some just genuinely do not function before 10 a.m. So basically, no matter what type of person you are, getting out of bed in the morning can actually be the worst.

I don't always/ever do all the amazing things you're supposed to do to get your life together in the morning, because I either don't have time or because I forget about how important good morning habits are since my head is too full of other stuff at the time. But I still manage to get up and get out of bed every day with a remarkable amount of enthusiasm, if I may say so myself. I do something very simple — and this thing pushes everything else out of my head so that I can focus on getting up and going forward.

I find one thing in the upcoming day to be really, truly excited about.

And then I hold on to it, tightly. Here's how to do it and why you should.

1. Make it something attainable.

This thing I think of isn't some ridiculous feat or a crazy goal I may not even be able to achieve. It's an easy thing, it's a comforting thing, and it's a sure thing. Some mornings I lay in bed thinking of the 20 minutes on the train to and from work that I'll have to finally, finally open my book and read. I think of sushi. I think of my ballet class. I think of squishing my cat with a hug she'll act like she doesn't want, but she does (she does!). I think of getting to work so that I can IM my co-worker about Harry Potter. Or, I think about watching Harry Potter after work that day. Seriously, anything Harry Potter-related will work for me.

2. Let it be your anchor.

The main point is, find that one thing to look forward to because it's like finding a light at the end of the tunnel during a bad day, or it's an extra bonus in a day that's already good. Let it be your anchor if and when you feel like everything else in that day is out of your control or not going the way you'd hoped.

3. Don't allow yourself to skip it.

If it's what got you out of bed, then it means it's important enough that you shouldn't let it fall through the cracks. Don't reschedule your happy moment for another day. It's something worth smiling about and cherishing, because no matter how small, it's something totally worth waking up for.