10 Real-Life ADHD Tips to Wake Up & Get Out of Bed Easier

Have ADHD and find waking up in the morning feels next to impossible at times? You know the drill — the alarm goes off, you’re awake, but also stuck in bed… seemingly unable to move. Or you grab your phone, scroll a bit, tell yourself ‘just five more minutes’ — and before you know it, way too much time passed, you’re running late for work, scrambling to catch up.

If getting out of bed feels like a daily battle, you are not alone. In episode 313 of the I’m Busy Being Awesome podcast, we’re diving into what’s really happening — and some simple shifts that can make this part of your morning just a little bit easier.

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Listen to the episode above or stream it on your favorite podcasting app. Prefer to read? No problem! Keep scrolling for a summary of the key takeaways.

In Episode 313 You Will Discover:

• Why mornings are uniquely challenging for the ADHD brain
• Simple morning and evening routine shifts to make getting out of bed easier
• 10 practical habits to break the sleep-debt cycle and enjoy your mornings

Episode 313: 10 Real-Life ADHD Tips to Wake Up & Get Out of Bed Easier (Transcript)

Today, we’re talking about one of those sneaky spots where ADHD and it’s impact on our executive function really shows up strong: getting out of bed.

This is something so many of us deal with — myself included at times — and it’s an obstacle I hear from my clients all the time.

In this episode, we’re unpacking what’s going on behind those tough mornings… Why getting out of bed on time is not just “a motivation problem,” plus simple strategies that have made a big difference for my clients and myself when it comes to actually getting up out of bed in the morning.

ADHD Can Make Mornings Hard (My Experience)

Now, to really set the stage for this topic, I want to take you back to one of the hardest seasons for me when it came to mornings — and honestly, in general — which was my time in grad school.

At that point, I didn’t have my ADHD diagnosis yet, and I didn’t have any of the supports I use now. No coaching tools, systems that worked with my brain, or understanding of what was actually happening.

Instead, I was carrying around this heavy mix of perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and constantly telling myself I was falling behind and not measuring up.

Due to this, every morning, I’d wake up and immediately feel that heaviness. The pressure of another day, anxiety about classes and the fear of not being smart enough, not being prepared enough, not being enough.

When my alarm would go off, my first instinct was to grab my phone, which was, of course, right next to my bed — and start scrolling.

At the time, I didn’t think of it as avoiding. I told myself:

• “I’m just going to check my email real quick.”
• “Let me see if any messages came through overnight.”
• “I’ll just scroll for a minute before I get moving.”

But looking back now, I can see it so clearly: That wasn’t just “checking my email.” It was an unconscious attempt to escape the overwhelm and dread I felt about facing the day ahead.

It was a little burst of dopamine before my feet even hit the floor — and before I knew it, those few minutes of scrolling turned into 20, then 30, then suddenly I was running late, feeling behind before my day had even started.

And that cycle repeated itself, over and over again.

What’s Happening Behind the Scenes

Now, let’s zoom out for a minute and talk about what was actually happening in those moments — because there are so many of us who fall into unnecessary shame.

The truth is, getting out of bed can be a perfect storm of challenges for the ADHD all showing up at once.

First, there’s the executive function piece

We know that cognitive flexibility and transitions can be challenging for those of us with ADHD.

It’s not that we don’t want to get up. It’s that switching from “lying in bed” to “starting the day” is an entire transition in state.

Then, for many of us, we also add in the emotional side

For my grad school example, it was the dread of the day ahead: the pressure, the fear, the imposter syndrome.

For others, it might be overwhelm, anxiety, decision fatigue — even before the day has technically started.

So the brain starts scanning for ways to soothe, to avoid, to delay facing those emotions — and that’s often where the phone comes in.

Then There’s Sleep Debt

For many of us, getting enough sleep is its own ongoing challenge.

Whether it’s staying up too late because of revenge bedtime procrastination, hyperfocus taking us down some rabbit hole, or perhaps we’re struggling with something like delayed sleep phase syndrome, when we start the morning already depleted, activation becomes even harder.

So we wake up with low dopamine, depleted energy, and a brain that’s facing a tall order of executive function tasks — all before we’ve even sat up.

No wonder it feels so hard.

Today’s Version of the Struggle (Sleep Debt Cycle)

Now, thankfully, a lot has changed for me since those grad school years.

I have my diagnosis. I have the tools, the coaching, the systems that support my brain so much better. And most days, my mornings feel much smoother.

But — and I think a lot of you can relate to this — there are still times when I fall out of my usual routines or rhythms, and when that happens, a similar struggle with mornings still appears… Just in a slightly different way.

For me now, rather than it being emotions that keep me stuck in bed, the biggest culprit is usually sleep.

When I don’t get enough of it — whether that’s because I stayed up too late, hyperfocused on some crochet project, or because I fell into another version of revenge bedtime procrastination trying to reclaim a little downtime at the end of the day — I can feel it the next morning.

As we know, once that sleep debt starts building, it kicks off a whole cycle…

• I wake up tired, which makes it so much harder to get out of bed
• This then shortens my morning routine
• Which can leave me feeling rushed and behind before the day even starts
• This can lead to working later than I’d like and shortening my evening wind down again
• Which leaves me tired again the next night — and around we go

It’s this very common cycle I see in so many of my clients, too. That connection between sleep, energy, executive function, and activation is real. And when we’re in it, it’s so easy to slip into frustration or beat ourselves up for staying stuck and not being able to “just get up.”

However, as we’ve talked about, it’s not about willpower. It’s about understanding what’s actually going on — and putting some gentle supports in place to help break that cycle.

10 Small Habits That Help Me Wake Up & Get Out Of Bed

With all of that in mind, let’s talk about what’s helped me start breaking that cycle and make mornings feel easier.

I want to stress before I share my list that it was not about finding one big solution. Instead, it’s been about stacking a bunch of tiny habits, at night and in the morning, that make it easier for my brain to do what it needs to do.

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Now let’s get into the habits I’ve adopted that help me wake up in the mornings, even though it can be hard as an ADHD adult!

I start in the evening…

What helped me start getting up and out of bed in the mornings with the last resistance? I’ve learned that an easier morning starts the night before. The more I can support my brain before I go to bed, the smoother things go when I wake up.

1. Wash My Face After Work

One of the simplest shifts is washing my face right after work, while my executive function was still online. This way, by bedtime, I only need to brush my teeth, which feels so much easier.

While it may sound ridiculous, if I don’t wash my face earlier, I find myself delaying going to bed because I don’t want to have to wash my face at the end of the day.

2. Prepare Clothes For The Next Day

I also pick out my clothes for the next day and set them out, so that decision is already made.

3. Block Out All Blue Light Before Bed

I read on my Kindle with the backlight off, and I wear my blue light blocking glasses, so I’m not stimulating my brain right before bed.

4. Two Minutes of Journaling

I write a few quick sentences in my “lines a day” journal — just a snapshot of the day, which helps me wind down.

5. Remove My Phone From The Bedroom

Most importantly, my phone does not come into the bedroom. It stays in the bathroom, where I can’t reach it from bed. This has been huge for me both at night and first thing in the morning.

Now, not everyone is able to remove their phone from the room… One of my clients, for example, still needs to have his phone nearby because of his on-call job. So instead of leaving the phone outside the room, he puts it across the room on top of his dresser.

It’s not right next to the bed, which removes the automatic scroll temptation, but it’s still close enough that he can hear if he gets a call. That simple tweak of moving the phone out of arm’s reach has made a huge difference.

6. Practice Visualization

Before bed, I often visualize the next morning… picturing myself getting up, going through my routine, taking Bruno for his walk, seeing my first client. This way, my brain has already rehearsed it by the time I wake up.

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In the morning…

When it’s time to wake up, I’ve built in a few supports that make that transition feel so much easier:

7. Use a Wake Up Light Alarm

I use my Philips wake-up light, which gradually brightens the room like a sunrise. It’s especially helpful during the long, dark Minnesota winters.

8. Warm Up My Bed In Advance!

I’ve also programmed my BedJet to warm up about 15 minutes before I need to get up. That rise in temperature helps cue my body that it’s time to wake up.

9. Practice ‘Feet on the Floor’ + The 5 Second Rule

As soon as the alarm goes off, I practice what I call “feet on the floor” — paired with Mel Robbins’ 5-second rule.

I count down 5-4-3-2-1 and get my feet on the floor. Sometimes I need a couple of countdowns, but it helps bridge that task initiation gap.

10. Have a Morning Accountability Buddy

There are a couple of ways you can do this, such as…

• Call or text a friend once up, and take turns supporting each other throughout the week (helping you get out of bed)
• Walking accountability — maybe a neighbor or friend who’s ready to meet up for a morning walk.

Knowing someone else is counting on you to show up, especially when it’s something you ultimately want to do as well, can be really supportive for our ADHD brains.

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Now, I want to be super clear: these supports didn’t happen all at once. They’ve built up over time, through a lot of trial and error, and they might look different for you, because everyone’s brain, schedule, and life are different.

These small habits help me… focus on the path to activation, shift from sleep to waking up, and make moving in the morning as smoothly as possible for my ADHD brain.

Reminders

As we wrap up today’s conversation, I want to leave you with a few really important reminders, because I know whenever we talk about sleep and routines, there’s a tendency for the inner critic to come out with lots of opinions, and we start getting hard on ourselves.

1. Good Sleep Is a huge part of this puzzle

When we’re consistently tired, everything feels harder — and that includes getting out of bed. If sleep has been a tricky area for you (which, for so many of us with ADHD, it is), please know you’re not alone.

In fact, outside of the topic of productivity specifically, sleep is one of the most common things I coach on, as how well rested we are plays such a huge role in how well our executive functions perform.

If you want to explore that more deeply, check out these episodes…

• How To Overcome Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
• Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome, Sleep Hygiene & ADHD
• Social Jet Lag & ADHD

2. You Are Not ‘Bad’ At Mornings

You’re not destined to battle with this forever.

What’s likely true is that your brain would benefit from more scaffolding (and possibly more sleep) — more external supports that help your brain do what it wants to do.

3. Notice All Or Nothing Thinking

Be aware if all-or-nothing thinking sneaks in if you try something and it doesn’t work perfectly the first time.

Allow yourself space to try different approaches, to iterate, and see what works.

We’re talking about tiny experiments. Micro-shifts. And every little experiment is simply data — it’s not a judgment on how well you’re “doing mornings.”

Some things will work for you, others won’t — and that’s exactly how you figure out what supports your brain best.

Final Thoughts & Next Steps

As you approach your mornings over the coming week, I invite you to first get curious about what friction keeps you feeling stuck.

Ask yourself:

• What makes getting out of bed challenging for you in the morning?
• What are the levers we can pull?

Maybe it’s getting more sleep, or smoothing out your evening routine, or perhapts it’s using a few strategies in the morning.

Choose one area to start with and give it a try.

And of course, I would also love to know how it’s going for you. If you’ve found a morning strategy that’s helped you get out of bed a little easier, or you’re trying out a few different strategies that we talked about today, please let me know over on my Instagram.

👉 Want to take these concepts further and apply them to your life? Learn more about how we can work together with my small group coaching program, “We’re Busy Being Awesome,” and one-on-one coaching.

✨ And don’t forget to sign up to my free course – the ADHD Routine Revamp. It’s a simple step-by-step approach to locking in a routine and making it stick.

Links From The Podcast:

• Learn more about private coaching here
• Learn more about We’re Busy Being Awesome here
• Get the top 10 tips to work with your ADHD brain (free ebook!)
• Discover my favorite ADHD resources
• Get the I’m Busy Being Awesome Planning System
• Get the I’m Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap
• Take my free course, ADHD Routine Revamp
• BedJet
• Blue Light Blockers
• Some Lines A Day
• Philips Wake Up Light
• Kindle

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