How to Get Up When You Don't Want To

Getting up can be really hard to do. And this is not even about getting up from a heavy place. Physically getting up out of bed, getting up to finish a task, or starting a task you know you should can be extremely challenging. Oftentimes, we may attribute the struggle to being “tired” or not feeling motivated. In most cases, it's not physical exhaustion or a lack of motivation but a pattern of procrastination. And procrastination can be the result of a myriad of things, but beneath it all, it can be seen as a coping mechanism that’s become a habit. The cause may very well be fear. Fear of standing out (or standing alone), a fear of failure, or even a fear of success. It can be rooted in the fear of the unknown or the fear of inadequacy. You see the common denominator, right?

Fear has a way of causing hesitation and overwhelm. Mental and emotional overwhelm certainly impacts the body physically. Hesitation may show up as doing everything except for what you actually are required to do (or desire to do). It can show up as aimlessly scrolling on social media, calling friends to speak about nothing, eating for no nutritional purpose, watching shows that add no value to where you’d like to be, or over-preparing without ever going forward.

Procrastination as a coping mechanism appears to be a safe space that keeps you from confronting the thing you don’t want to do, but most often the thing you would like to accomplish. For example, you may want clean dishes but not want to wash them; you may desire the results of exercise but not the work it takes to actually work out. The same goes for public speaking, attending a family function, or reaching a milestone that is actually important to you.

Here’s the thing: procrastination may just start out as a way to soothe a certain level of fear. It’s a push-pull dynamic between desiring something (or obtaining the outcome of doing something) and either the work it takes to obtain it or the fear of what comes with obtaining it (or doing the work). The tension exists between the desire and the fear (or physical labor).  If there were no desire, there would be no tension. If you were rested, there would be no fatigue. The truth of the matter is that procrastination can reveal something much deeper below the surface. The word itself has become a brand of its own, but it’s really avoidance. So, the key to getting up (when you don’t want to) is discovering what you’re avoiding and the reason. When you dismantle the fear associated with obtaining the goal, procrastination ceases to exist. Now, if you’re just physically tired, get some rest. But if the exhaustion is the result of worry, overthinking, an irrational, unnecessary sense of urgency, or being afraid, consider the why and take healthy steps to overcome.

Procrastination does not eradicate showing up; it only delays. And why would you want to delay something that benefits you. Clean dishes, folded laundry, a good workout, and just showing up overall has its rewards. There is life in getting up. Discover what’s holding you back, heal, and go forward – you’ll be so happy you got up.  

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