Julie A. Fast - Getting It Done When Youre Depressed

Publisher: Mike Sanders

Editor: Brandon Buechley

Art Director: William Thomas

Cover Designer Rebecca Batchelor

Book Designer/Compositor Ayanna Lacey

Proofreader: Rick Kughen

Indexer: Celia McCoy

Digital Production

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To BTS and Julie Foster, NPJulie

First American Edition, 2021

Published in the United States by DK Publishing

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Copyright 2021 by Julie A. Fast

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A catalog record for this book

is available from the Library of Congress.

ISBN: 9781615649822

Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2020941358

This digital edition is published in 2021
eISBN: 9780744041415

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Reprinted and updated from Get It Done When You're Depressed

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When you read my bio in the back of this book and see my career accomplishments, you might think I no longer have depression and that must be why I can write and work successfully. Unfortunately, thats not the case. I still live with depression. However, the key is that Ive learned to work through my depression, instead of letting my depression rob me of my ability to work or otherwise get things done. In reality, I can only work about half the time other people work. I cant do a 9-to-5 job, and I get worn out if I spend too much time focusing on a large project. As a result, I have had to learn to be much more productive when I work.

I have had to teach myself certain strategies, which I outline for you in the following pages, for working through my depression enough to function and enough to get things done even when Im depressed. Once I freed myself from the limitations of depression, I was able to create a system that works for me. Depression may take over my mind, but it doesnt have to take over my actions. I have a lot of tough days and I would love to have depression out of my life permanently, but until then, Ill continue to use the strategies in this book to get things done.

Getting things done forms the basis of your daily life. You constantly have to take care of yourself and others (family, friends, and pets), work, eat, drive, create, collaborate, meet deadlines, make decisions, give and receive love, tend to your health, manage your money, and so very much more. And all this takes energy. But depression robs you of this energyand along with it, depression often strips away the hope and belief that youll ever get it back. Thats why its so essential that you have a plan in place for getting things done despite your down mood. Ive been there; I know what youre going through. And the good news is that I have a plan that will help you.

As impossible as it sounds and no matter how depressed you are, you can create a plan to get things done when youre depressed. It isnt easy and it takes time to create your own system, but its worth it when you can get into bed at night and feel good about yourself and what youve accomplished. When you think of your optionsgetting things done versus quitting jobs, rarely finishing projects, always feeling guilty and sad, and in general, not believing in your own abilitiesthe choice is clear. You want to get things done. The strategies in this book help you do just that.

Before you get started with the strategies in this book, it helps to explore a few areas to really uncover the role depression plays (and has played) in your life. Life has a way of getting away from you when youre depressed. By realistically examining your past, you can have a better idea of what you want for your future.

First, think about what happens when you, dont get things done. Which of the following problems have you experienced because of depression?

• Relationship problems
• Lack of self-confidence
• Wondering why things are so hard for you, while they seem so effortless for others
• Looking back on your life and feeling shame for all the time youve wasted

Now, think about what others say to you. Put a check next to the comments that sound familiar:

• If you just sat down and did it, you wouldnt have so many problems.
• You have a family. It seems to me that you should work harder to make sure theyre okay.
• God! Its just doing the dishes!
• You have so much talent. Its a shame that you just waste it.

Perhaps most important when you struggle with depressionwe can sometimes be our own harshest criticsthink about what you say to yourself. Put a check next to the following things that youve thought or said:

• Ill never get my act together. Ive been like this for so long. I cant see anything changing soon.
• I just dont know what I want to do! If I knew that, I would just do it instead of sitting around.
• I really want to change, but its like all the air goes out of my balloon as soon as I sit down to do something.

The effects of depression can seem endless. They can affect your life in every area and make you feel that things will never get better. And unfortunately, some people dont see depression as an illness and can say hurtful things. But the main problem is how you treat yourself. When depression takes over and you say the same hurtful things to yourself as others say to you, its difficult to get better. When you start getting things done, that negative self-talk can turn into more positive talk, and thats just what you need.

Most of us have to work to earn a paycheck to support ourselves and our families. But working is only part of what you have to do during the day, and working is only one of the many tasks that might feel utterly impossible to accomplish when youre depressed.