Focusing On Time Spent Productively Can Help You To Cope With Depression
It might sound glib, but this new approach had a significant impact on my mental health. I no longer felt like a failure because I had empirical evidence every day of what I had achieved. And as I started to feel more stable, I began to set aside time for more ambitious tasks, like spending time outside, applying for jobs, or writing. Over time, it became easier to see that even on my lowest days, I could combat the feelings of failure and worthlessness by setting aside even 10 minutes to do something productive be that taking a shower, walking the dog, or meditating.
Exercise For Better Sleep And To Boost Endorphins
Exercise is a greatly underutilized antidepressant. I know that some days it feels like you can barely get out of bed, let alone go for a jog, but exercising is a naturally proven way to increase your bodys feel-good endorphins.
Exercising for at least two and a half hours a week has been shown to significantly improve the quality of sleep you get at night, which positively impacts your overall mental wellness and your energy during the day.
In my personal experience, Ive also found exercising to be a good way to relieve stress and frustration.
If you go for long jog, chances are that youll feel so tired when you get done you wont even have the energy to be bummed out.
That and endorphin boost can do wonders for your mood and productivity.
What Are The Signs Of Work Depression
The signs of depression at work are similar to general depressive symptoms. That said, some may look more specific to a workplace setting.
This depression will affect your level of functioning in your job as well as at home, Parmar said.
Some of the more common signs of work depression include:
- increased anxiety levels, especially when managing stressful situations or thinking about work when youre away from your job
- overall feelings of boredom and complacency about your job
- low energy and lack of motivation to do things, which can sometimes manifest as boredom in tasks
- persistent or prolonged feelings of sadness or low mood.
- loss of interest in tasks at work, especially duties that you previously found interesting and fulfilling
- feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, or overwhelming guilt
- inability to concentrate or pay attention to work tasks and trouble retaining or remembering things, especially new information
- making excessive errors in daily work tasks
- an increase or decrease in weight or appetite
- physical complaints like headaches, fatigue, and upset stomach
- increased absences or coming late and leaving early
- impaired decision-making capacity
- irritability, increased anger, and poor frustration tolerance
- crying spells or tearfulness at work, with or without any apparent triggers
- trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- self-medication with alcohol or substances
According to Parmar, here are some common signs of work depression to be aware of:
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Find Your Escape Through Meditation
You have gone through the above steps and yet you still might feel a void inside you, a feeling of emptiness, no matter how many activities you indulge yourself into.
To tackle this for good, you need to face your thoughts, your sense of void without judging it. Dont cloud yourself with why you shouldnt feel like this or this particular thought or feeling is wrong, just observe it for what it is.
This shows you the nature of your thoughts which were there all along but you just never noticed them before. Now you may have a skeptical opinion on meditation, but the best way to find out is by completely submerging yourself into it and trying it out.
Taking care of your mental health is important and we can do this in multiple ways, so we wrote an article on Productivity Affirmations to guide you through this process, listing out its benefits and how to implement them.
Stop Trying To Be A Perfectionist
The sense of perfectionism is the main culprit in developing your depression. It implies the fact that if you are determined to do something in an unblemished way, you may end up even before the beginning of your task.
Depression compels you to feel that you will fail unless you take flawless actions. This misconception not only puts a bar on your way to take initiatives but also feeds your depression.
Therefore, do not run after perfection. Give your best and accept the result whatever it is. This will increase your productivity by eliminating your depression.
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How To Be Productive When Depressed: 7 Tips
Medically reviewed by Kristin Hall, FNP
So youre depressed, but still have to do that adulting thing, and youve googled how to be productive when depressed out of desperation. Welcome to the club.
Depression is a fairly common occurrence , so people all over the world struggle with productivity while dealing with depression every year.
Weve all read the studies: the economic costs of depression, the medical costs of depressed workers. People with an annual salary struggle with it and so do people who make an hourly wage.
But economic impact isnt what really matters its your own mental health that should be number one.
Depression has many forms. Some may make it easier to be functional than others, but the reality is that whether youre able to perform as a high-functioning person with clinical depression has little to do with the severity of your condition, and everything to do with how well you manage it.
Luckily, weve got some tips for managing depression and working all the while through it. But before we hit you with those tools, you need to know some background about the relationship between depression and productivity.
Have A Support Circle
Have people you can talk to about anything. These should be people you can be open and honest with, so you can tell them how your depression makes you feel without worrying that theyre judging you. You should also respect these people so you can value the quality advice they give you to help you through tough times.
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Let Go Of Perfectionism
Now that you dont have to be perfect, you can be good. John Steinbeck
Perfectionism prevents us from living up to our full potential. Its impossible to be perfect, which paralyzes us and makes it all the more difficult to do anything. If you let go of the need to be perfect, you can be good. Its better to get something done and have it not be perfect than to not do it at all because it cant be.
If you are feeling depressed and need help, contact New Transitions Counseling Center in Palatine for cognitive behavioral therapy.
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Find Something That You Enjoy And Do It Every Day
Another helpful tip for getting out of your funk is to find something that you enjoy and do it every day, even if you only do it for 15 minutes or so.
When I was in college, I discovered that I really liked playing video games on my handheld, so I invested in a Nintendo DS and started gaming on there for an hour or so a day. Even with all my schoolwork, it was perfectly manageable for me to set aside some time to play each day.
When you do something that you enjoy, you start to focus on that activity, rather than on whatever has you feeling down. This is a good way to start to wean yourself off of your negative emotions and feel something positive again.
If you arent into gaming, try reading a book, creating some kind of art, writing, or cooking.
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Tips For Being Productive When Depressed
You know those days when you wake up depressed and you know that its important that you be productive nonetheless? Those are rough days!
It is possible to be productive when you are depressed. It might at times feel like you are climbing a mountain backwards in flip flops but if you have to be productive it IS possible.
How?
Focus On What You’re Doing
Depression causes you to be absorbed in your own thoughts. To counter this as you go about your daily routine, focus your thoughts on the outside world. For example, when you wash a dish, feel the water on your hands and listen to the dishtowel rubbing the plate. “By focusing on the outer world with attention,” says Luciani, “you’re really teaching yourself to let go of that inner ‘gerbil wheel’ where you are spinning depressive thoughts.”
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How To Be Productive When Youre Depressed
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Perhaps one of the most frustrating symptoms of depression is lack of motivation. You want to thrive at work, go after your personal goals, and take care of your health, but this is difficult for emotionally healthy people, let alone someone with depression. You might look at your to-do list in the morning, and have to actively fight the desire to crawl back into bed. Yet when you do this, you may be consumed with feelings of self-hatred and worthlessness. What used to be very easy for you now feels like an insurmountable task, so how exactly are you supposed to get everything done that you need to?
Work At The Coffee Shop
Depression is often accompanied by feelings of isolation and loneliness. But it can work in the other direction, too: frequent isolation from others or persistent feelings of loneliness can be major drivers of depression.
During the pandemic, many of us learned this lesson the hard way. Forced to work from home and apart from others, we experienced the emotional challenges that come with prolonged solitude.
Many of us experience a major boost in productivity from simply being around others. The key word here is around. Even when youre not actively interacting with others, simply being in the same space can help you be more productive.
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Ways To Get Motivated When Youre Depressed
If you struggle with clinical depression, it can feel impossible to find motivation to complete even the smallest task. When it comes to depression, its important to remember that youre not alone. According to the World Health Organization, more than 264 million people suffer from depression worldwide, and it is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States. Because depression is such a wide-spread mental illness, a lot of people have various coping mechanisms that help them stay motivated throughout the day or pull themselves out of a depressive episode.
Weve compiled a list of 10 ways to get motivated when youre depressed, five steps that you can take to move forward each day, and five tactics that you can apply to your life as a whole to see widespread results.
Daily Strategies to Combat a Lack of Motivation
Big Picture Changes to Support Mental Health
If you or a loved one need immediate help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Patient Recruitment And Enrollment
All patients with health plan claims data showing them to be newly started on antidepressant medications at a participating clinic were identified on a weekly basis by the health plans and sent a letter about the study, providing them a 1-week opportunity to opt out before being called by the research survey center to determine eligibility for participation and to complete a baseline questionnaire by phone. Patients were eligible if they were older than 18 years of age, had filled a new antidepressant prescription from a primary care clinician at a participating clinic for the treatment of depression, and had a depression symptom severity score of 7 or higher on the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item screen . Although part- or full-time employment was not an eligibility criterion for participation in the larger DIAMOND study, because we focused on the relationship between productivity loss at work and depression, we included in our analysis only the subset of patients employed for wages at least part time. Patients completing this baseline questionnaire were also asked for permission to resurvey them 6 months later.
The study protocol was reviewed, approved, and monitored by the HealthPartners Institutional Review Board.
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How To Know If You Are Depressed: 11 Signs To Notice And When To Get Help
A person can feel down but not realize they are experiencing symptoms of depression. Since depression affects people differently, it is essential to understand what to look for and when to seek help. It is common to feel sad or lonely, especially when dealing with life struggles or personal loss. But when such feelings become overwhelming and affect your emotional and physical well-being, they may keep you from living a productive lifestyle. When you notice these changes, it is time to seek help.
Read Or Watch Something Motivational To Get You Going
If you find that the hardest part of the day is just getting out of bed, you might find it helpful to read or watch something inspiring. This can help you get motivated and get going in the morning and can fuel your actions throughout the rest of the day.
Read some more inspiringarticles on Vishnus site, follow motivational social accounts, or watch some inspiring YouTube videos. These are all easy things you can do from your smartphone while youre still in bed in the morning, so you can get inspired and start your day when you are ready.
It can be so easy to let your anger, worries, depression or fear get the better of you in life. But if you dont do anything to pick yourself up and actively fight against your slump, youre not even living are you?
I hope that some of the things Ive talked about today will resonate with you and inspire you to bounce back and live a productive life in 2015.
You cant change how you feel, but you can take some of these actions I mentioned above to be productive and get things done.
Start today.
Kayla Matthews is a productivity blogger with a passion for positive thinking and self-improvement. To read more of her latest posts, follow her on and , or at ProductivityTheory.com.
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Find A Productivity Tool That Works For You
Good organization is an important part of productivity even when youre not depressed. But when youre struggling with depression, its nothing short of essential.
Thing is, depression is almost always an exhausting experience, and it takes considerable energy to store all that you need to get done up in your head. So, when youre depressed, having a system to keep track of all your daily tasks can be a real gamechanger.
The good news is that there are countless options available when it comes to productivity tools. Apps like Evernote and OmniFocus are one way to go, but there are plenty of tech-free options that often work just as well, if not better. Personally, Ive found the Bullet Journal methodBuJo, if you must works best for me.
Learn To Be Ok With An Unfinished Or Imperfect Task
I hate leaving things unfinished its as simple as that. Whether its washing the dishes, writing an article, or sending an email, I want to get it out of the way all at once so I can cross it off my list and not worry about it anymore. But one lesson Ive learned and had to work on is leaving tasks unfinished and being OK with that. Write half an article. Write a whole article, but dont edit it yet. Or publish it, knowing its full of mistakes. As bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert and her mother say:
Done is better than good.
Doing half is better than doing nothing. Doing a poor job and not worrying incessantly about it is better than the opposite. If youre depressed and can do something, thats a feat in and of itself. Start a task and know it doesnt have to be completed or perfect, and youll get a lot more done.
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Work Loss And Productivity
Table 3 presents descriptive data on the WPAI items. Patients reported that over the previous 7 days, an average of 3.1 hours, or 8.0%, of their total usual working hours were missed because of health conditions. The average rating of the degree of impairment while at work was 3.5 on the 10-point scale, representing 35.2% of total hours worked, or 12.1 hours of productivity affected while at work. The proportion of expected work time that was missed or affected because of health problems over the previous 7 days represented an average of 37.8% of employees usual work hours, or 14.2 hours of work missed or work time impaired because of health. Note that the value of productivity loss as calculated is not the sum of absenteeism plus presenteeism, because the latter includes only hours actually at work.