How to Stay Productive at Work While Feeling Depressed

Learn how to stay productive at work even when feeling depressed.

There are times in your life when you just can’t do anything anymore. You are tired, depressed, and stuck. The clock doesn’t seem to tick, and your wish doesn’t exist anymore. If there were a place you could runaway to in a far off land, or maybe another planet, you would happily do so.

You want to give up.

It’s 8 am in the morning and you have to go to work again. The pain worsens with the ringing alarm every dreadful morning. You wish you could take a leave, but for many reasons, you can’t. What would one day do anyway? And they certainly won’t give you an entire month off.

There is only one way to deal with your sore situation and stay productive. By forcing yourself to get up, get ready, and get out every morning and doing your level best at NOT giving up.

How to Stay Productive at Work While Feeling Depressed

Here are other tips that will make your day more efficient:

• Morning Exercise : Doctors have proved the importance of exercise for your physical and mental well-being, time and time again. Get up early and go for a jog to spark up that vigorous “mood” you need for work. Exercise has proved to boost productivity, mood and morale. This is possibly due to the feel-good chemical called endorphin released during exercise which works as a natural anti-depressant.
• Sleep Well: The importance of an adequate sleep is undisputed. Not having enough sleep will cause your body to lock down due to lack of rest and additional pressure. Don’t make the mistake of missing out on your Zzz’s during a slumpy, down-in-the-dumps episode. The added stress on the body will make you feel much worse the next day.
• Take breaks: You might not be able to take a long-term leave, but you probably can take short breaks during your work. Don’t skip that lunch break no matter what and make the best of it AWAY from you desk. Taking multiple short breaks is also acceptable, and in many cases advisable if your nature of work lacks activity.
• Bring in the Light: You may have heard that working in a brightly-lit environment improves productivity levels (hint: Hawthorne effect).

However, you probably weren’t aware of the fact that light can work as a therapy for depressed workers and help them stay productive. According to the National Institute of Health you can fight the winter blues simply by letting light in your workspace. Their research reveals that “light therapy relieves SAD symptoms for as much as 70% of patients after a few weeks of treatment”.

• Use Calming Techniques: If your mood causes frustration and confusion, it might help to use calming techniques to re-focus on your work. Meditative music can to do the job of lightening your mood, reducing stress, and reducing pain before you begin your daily chores (if you prefer fast-paced stimulating music, that’s fine too as long as it makes you feel better).

You can also use deep breathing techniques to relax. Try this: Inhale through your mouth and fill your lungs till you have counted 5 seconds. Then hold for 2 more second, and slowly exhale through your nose counting another 5 seconds. Take a few minutes to do this exercise at your desk alone (without distractions) and see how it will make you stay productive.

• Talk to Someone: Sometimes, your “low” mood can only be fixed by plucking out the root and chucking it away. This would be the exact reason for your depression. Find out what’s bothering you and talk to someone about your problems.

Merely talking to someone about your troubles and having a shoulder to cry on has a healing effect. Pick a trusted co-worker you know would do his best to provide you with comfort and encourage you to stay productive. If the problem is much worse and long-term, you might need to seek professional help.

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