When you’re deep in the depths of depression and experiencing life-impacting side effects (including anxiety and exhaustion) — it can be nearly impossible to complete the work that’s required of you. I’ve been in this situation more times than I can count.
As an individual who suffers from chronic pain, I’ve worked while depressed for years — and it can be completely, utterly miserable. My depression closely follows my chronic pain fluctuations. The more pain I’m in, the easier it is for me to sink into negative thought patterns. When I feel my worst, I want nothing more than to collapse on the couch with my pup, close the blinds, turn off my cell phone, and disappear for a while. Yet most of the time, that’s impossible, due to work, family commitments, and my never-ending to-do list.
Over the years, I’ve found ways to make working while depressed more manageable, and it has been an absolute blessing. I’ve learned to embrace my emotional and physical flaws rather than hide from them, and I work hard to focus on self-care so that when depression hits — I’m ready for it.
It’s critical that I remain positive and focus on self-care, no matter what chronic pain throws my way. If I let myself slip, depression and anxiety consumes me.
The list below contains my go-to solutions for working while depressed. It’s terrifying to open myself up like this, but I’m sharing these tips in the hope that an idea below will help you manage your depression in a healthy way. We’re all human, we all face immense challenges, and we’re all in this together. In the comments, I’d love to hear about your self-care routines, too.