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

would want to do something that seems more pleasurable than a required task. And a distracted brain often needs a fix before it can calm down.

Making Deals with Yourself
    If you want to feel better when you feel scattered and unfocused, you might even negotiate this: I’m just going to make one phone call and then I’ll feel better … and suddenly it’s an hour of phone calls because they calm you down.
    You’ve given your distracted brain something to do, but the problem is that it’s not what you needed to do! It’s hard to understand why it would be easier to do something you don’t need to do than actually just do what you have to do, but depression is confusing like that. You can have plenty of energy to do what doesn’t need to be done right now but feel absolutely worn out when faced with a required task.
    When something suddenly seems far more appealing than your actual project, don’t give in to the distraction. Be sure you work productively on the unfocused days. You can do this by putting yourself in a place with few to no distractions. Or you can remove as many distractions as possible before you even start to work.
    Are any of the following common distractions for you?
    • E-mail/Internet/phone
    • Television
    • Rearranging your desk
    • Walking through the halls talking with colleagues
    • Suddenly needing to find something (and getting up to look)
    • Family members
    It’s so easy to become distracted today. Take the time to look around you and see what pulls your attention away from your task. This helps you know where you need to make changes.
Justin’s Story
    I know the Internet and e-mail are amazing inventions, but in terms of working when I can’t focus, they have been a terrible addition to my life! I have the Internet at work, and I’m usually okay with it. But it becomes so incredibly enticing when I’m having a low day.
    And why does e-mail suddenly become so important? I can exchange e-mail after e-mail with my friends on these days instead of working. And then I feel rotten and stupid and even more depressed at the end of the day. These are friends I can call anytime when I get home—where I also have the Internet.
    I have a lot of questions about what my brain is doing when this happens. Is it misfiring? Does the distraction make me feel better? It does sometimes, as I feel a moment of relief, but then I’m right back there needing more. I think this has to do with the fact that I have ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) symptoms when I get depressed.
    Now I have a rule: when the behavior gets out of hand—and I usually don’t notice it until I’ve wasted a few hours—I leave my office and work in a conference room. Now that we have wireless, it’s hard to stay away from the Internet or e-mail, but moving myself into a place with fewer distractions works.
My Story
    I always want to clean my house when I have a writing deadline. Especially my kitchen floor. Believe me, cleaning my house is not usually that compelling, but it always comes up when a chapter is due. I then think of organizing all the pictures I’ve had sitting in a box for the past few years. Or how it would be great to finally organize my e-mail! And make a shopping list … and organize my clothes … and all the other things I dread doing when I have the time.
    I now know that wanting to distract myself means I need to get back to the project. I also know that distractions feel good when I’m depressed because they get me out of the routine. But in reality, they disrupt the routine and I get even more behind than usual.
    What I do now:
    • Work at a college library where I don’t have access to the Internet.
    • Turn off my cell phone.
    • Do noncomputer work, such as hardcopy editing, at a coffee shop.
    • Negotiate with myself in a good way: When you finish a chapter, Julie, you can go get some coffee. (Decaf, of course!)
    • Enjoy the clean