If you're fighting depression, our friend, then there's a good chance that you can relate to what we call the "depression productivity loop":
In this way, depression can keep you trapped in a cycle of avoidance - where you don't take action due to overwhelm, lack of motivation and/or "depression tiredness", for example, but then feel depressed because you haven't gotten the things that you want to get done, done.
If you can relate, then three quick tips we'd like to share to help you break out of this cycle include:
- Breaking big, overwhelming tasks down into smaller, bite-sized pieces to make them more manageable (and then just completing as many bite-sized pieces as you feel you can manage - even if this doesn't add up to completing the "entire big, overwhelming task");
- Giving yourself a pat on the back any time you do complete a task (instead of criticising yourself for not having completed more);
- Starting a task even when you don't feel motivated to do it (as beginning that task is likely to make you feel a little bit better ... which will increase your energy and motivation, and then kickstart a positive cycle moving forwards).
We hope you find these three tips helpful, our friend.
All our love,
The Depression Project Team.
P.S. If you'd like more detailed advice on how to break out of the "depression productivity loop", then you'll likely find our cognitive behavioural therapy-based "Depression Overwhelm" Journal really helpful - which we created to:
- Help you feel like you’re not alone;
- Help you better understand “depression overwhelm”;
- Share with you a wide variety of strategies to help you overcome “depression overwhelm” – so that you are better able to function, attend to your to-do list and get things done.
