There are days when I wake up and don’t want to get out of bed. On those days, the last thing I want to do is figure out what task I should tackle first. Should I eat? Make my bed? Shower? Go on a walk? All of these seemingly simple choices start to feel impossible, giving me decision fatigue before I’ve even left my bed. Rather than letting my day get away from me, I try to have a mental health plan ready to go to help me when life is a little extra difficult.

Now, you may be asking: how do you start making a mental health plan? I try to make my plan on a day when I have some energy so that the decisions aren’t as difficult to make. To liven up the process, I make a fun coffee, put on some ambient music, and light a candle. I get to have a little me-date while making a plan that will help me in the future. 

You can also gather some colorful markers, pens, and stickers if you want to make your plan pretty and fun. Draw some cute doodles, make each bullet point a fun shape, write with a bright color. When that particularly difficult day does come, your plan will be colorful and bright, hopefully bringing in a little extra whimsy to your day. However, if you aren’t the type to get crafty or if you don’t have a notebook handy, make your plan on your phone. You can use the built-in notes app or download a third-party app that has some extra features. A good free option is TickTick, as it allows you to separate your lists into different categories.

Once you’re ready to start writing or typing up your mental health plan, the next step is to make some of the decisions that you would otherwise have to make on that hard day. I try to go for smaller tasks that are easy to complete and will leave me feeling accomplished. With each bullet point I check off, I slowly become more motivated to keep going on with my day.

I like to make my first task something that will encourage me to get out of bed. I know that I wake up hungry, so my first bullet point is to eat breakfast. When I’m feeling down, I try to make an easy breakfast that also serves as one of my favorite comfort foods. For me, this is a plate of toaster waffles with lots of butter and syrup. If breakfast first thing in the morning doesn’t sound appealing, you can make your first bullet point something that fits your lifestyle. Have a coffee, read a book, write in a journal; do something easy that will make you feel a little more prepared to start the day.

I continue with this process of making these small decisions until I have a plan that looks simple and doable for a future me that is having a hard day. I like to make my plan cover the first part of my morning, but you can do whatever feels right to you. Make it span your entire morning or entire day.

Here is my full mental health plan as an example:

1. Eat breakfast: Having a yummy breakfast helps me feel slightly better and gives me more energy to tackle my day, especially when I’m feeling down.

2. Make my bed: When my bed is unmade, I feel a lot less motivated to do any other tasks. Making my bed helps me stay out of it while making me feel more accomplished for getting a task done.

3. Clean my cats’ litter box: I always feel better after doing a task that ensures my cats are well taken care of. I feel reassured that they are getting the best care they can even when I am struggling.

4. Get ready: Once I know some of my essential chores are done, I like to wash my face, brush my teeth, and even put on a little mascara. These small self-care acts help me feel a little more put together, allowing me to better tackle the day.

5. Drink a coffee: On hard days, I like to slow down and take a minute to enjoy my coffee and read a book or do a word search. This gives me something to look forward to and a chance to sit with my thoughts before continuing on with my day.

Sometimes my mental health plan gives me enough motivation to keep going about my day, sometimes it's not. If I’m still sluggish after completing my list, I feel good knowing that I got some essential tasks taken care of. Just knowing I did something always feels better than bed rotting all day.

It’s important to acknowledge that no mental health plan will help when you’re struggling with a mental illness. If you find that getting out of bed is particularly difficult and it feels like nothing helps, reach out to your primary care physician or a therapist. Online mental health resources are also a great place to start. There is no shame in getting professional help.