How to Transform Oversleeping From Guilt to Growth
Develop self-compassion and a growth mindset by applying these four lessons next time you miss your alarm.
I meet the morning with a rush of anxiety. 8:03 am. I pull the sheets over my head, close my eyes. “It’s over an hour later than I’d planned to wake up,” I berate myself, “now the day’s ruined.”
Now the day is irrevocably ruined, what else is there to do but stay in bed? Disappointment and shame extinguish my motivation. I’m wallowing in a pillow-procrastinating catastrophe of regret before sunrise.
I eventually surface, but the voice in my head remains. “Now it’s over two hours later than planned — you would’ve had an extra hour if only you woke up straight away.” The snowball continues as I spend the day playing catch-up.
This self-critical approach serves no purpose. After noticing the amount of unnecessary suffering I was causing myself whenever I woke up later than planned, I went on a mission to discover what could be learned.
By applying these lessons next time you miss your alarm, you’ll develop your growth mindset from the comfort of your bed. You snooze, you win. What’s not to like?
Comparing myself to the ‘me’ who woke up on time
Are you familiar with time-trials in video games? Where a ghost-like image of a previous lap joins you on the track, a translucent reminder of your last performance?
In the past, waking up late sparked this video game feature in my mind’s eye. So strong was my idea of how the day should be, I’d superimpose the ghost-like image onto my lived experience— the “me” who woke up on time.
Whilst I was still playing catch up, translucent me would happily jog down the stairs and leave on time. I’d be left alone, running behind, trying to outrun and outmaneuver lost hours.
Lesson 1: The practice of acceptance
This morning ritual was familiar throughout my depression. I knew my mental health was bad when I’d wake up and immediately face a self-critical voice, which then triggered feelings of shame, which then spiraled anxiety, a…
