Free Get It Done When You're Depressed by Julie A. Fast Page B

whatever you’re currently doing to get better might not be progressing the way you want it to. And while you’re working on this plan, you still have to get on with your work. That means you have to feel the depression … and do it anyway. You might just have to let the depression sit there instead of fighting it.

Waking Up Depressed
    Waking up gloomy, guilty, sad, irritated, or uneasy in general is a tough way to start the day. It’s easy to give in to those feelings the minute you get out of bed. And there’s a chance that the depression will stay with you all day.
    But believe it or not, you don’t have to waste these days, even the really tough ones. After all, if you only get in a few hours of work, that’s better than nothing. When you’re depressed, you’re in a fog but you can still drive. You may be crying, but you can still fix dinner or go have coffee with a friend. When you get things done despite the depression, you can feel a real sense of accomplishment.
    Are you experiencing any of these normal signs of depression?
    • Depression makes you feel like you’re carrying a heavy weight.
    • Depression follows you around and talks to you.
    • Depression takes away your pleasure and makes you cry.
    • Depression makes you feel hopeless, gloomy, and sad.
    • Depression makes you doubt everything you do.
    The list is endless. But the reality is that you can feel all these things and still do what you have to do anyway. You can feel so sick you don’t think you can get out of the bed, but you can. Working when you’re depressed is harder and sadder than working when you’re well, but it’s important that you focus on the outcome and how you want to feel when you get to bed. When you can acknowledge to yourself, I did what I could today despite feeling so sick, you take control—perhaps more control than you thought possible.
Ellen’s Story
    Getting things done has many levels. It’s not always about work. Because I have depression, sometimes that simply means a day is going to be hard—sometimes impossibly hard. I just deal with it all—the thoughts, the feeling of heavy doom, the sadness. All of it gets in the way of my productivity, and it would do this forever if I let it. My depression is chronic, and unless a miracle happens (that would be nice!), I will deal with it for all my life.
    On many, many days I’m depressed all day. And it’s definitely true that some days I don’t and can’t get things done. But these days are fewer now. I have taught myself that I can do the work anyway, no matter how depressed I am. And if I do have a day when it’s truly impossible to get things done, I remind myself, Ellen, it’s an illness. It can be better tomorrow. I’m a teacher, and when I need it, I try to get as much energy from my students as I can.
My Story
    I wrote all my books— all of them, including this one—while I was battling depression; sometimes when I was seriously depressed and even suicidal. I had to. What were my options? Twenty more years of not really getting anything done? Twenty more years of starting a project and quitting before I was even halfway through? I’d had enough of that.
    I no longer let depression be the reason I don’t get things done. Some days are certainly tougher than others, but I can honestly say that in the past few years I’ve managed to stay out of bed during the day. (As small as that sounds, for those of us who spent what seems like years lying in bed, this is a big accomplishment!) I’ve gotten so good at this technique that people often say, “But you don’t seem depressed at all!” I consider this my greatest achievement. My depression is the same as always, but what I get done is 100 percent better.
    What I do now:
    • I still have days when nothing gets done. But I also know that these days make me feel terrible. So as much as possible, I make myself work, even when it feels impossible. I always have to remind myself that there has