How To Stay Productive When You Feel Depressed (What Actually Helped Me)
Struggling to stay productive when depressed? Learn practical strategies that helped me manage depression, regain focus, and build consistency.
Akhin Abraham
4 min read
Introduction
I have been clinically depressed and chronically ill for the past 7 years, yet I published 3 apps and Steady got over 500+ downloads in one month. I also create content on Instagram around productivity and mental health regularly.
I used to wake up with no energy to even brush my teeth. Even the smallest tasks were difficult to start. I wanted to improve my life but I felt stuck - mentally.
Most productivity advices only assume that you're doing alright and that you're motivated to get started right away. But, I am going to share realistic strategies that actually worked for me even when my depression pulled me back.
Traditional advices doesn't work during depression (here's why)
The problem with motivation
Unlike others, your brain chemicals work differently. Your energy levels fluctuate. Your mood drops by default. You might even blame yourself but that's not in your control. What is in your control is how your strategies work.
You cannot rely on motivation for getting things done while you are going through depression.
The productivity guru trap
I fell for this myself and took me years to realize the truth - productivity gurus don't really care if you are productive or not. How they make a living is by selling unrealistic expectations and display fake growth.
5 am routines
17-step morning routines
Buy their digital products for better results
If you want free productivity resources, you can check them out by clicking here.
What depression actually feels like
Waking up exhausted even after 10 hours of sleep, brain fog and literally zero interest to do anything. Criticizing yourself every time for no reason. Yes, that was me (or still is).
But it doesn't mean you cannot get work done. I'll show you exactly how to do that.
Lesson 1: Lower the bar (for now)
I used to have 5 habits in my habit tracker app which sounds cool and already looks productive, but the truth is I barely got 1 done (or maybe even nothing).
You don't have to do 5 complex tasks today, start with something tiny.
Read one page (not 10)
Walk for 5 minutes (not 30)
Work for 10 minutes (not hours)
Right now, the goal is not to achieve big - it is to feel achieved. So, complexity of your tasks don't matter. You just have to check it off your habit tracker or to-do list.
This lesson won't get much done but it does get something done. It also boosts your self esteem slowly.
Lesson 2: Don't be disciplined (I'll explain)
This lesson makes no sense but it will once I explain.
As a depressed person trying to fight and be better, it might be difficult to have fixed times for completing certain tasks. You cannot read 5 pages everyday at 6 pm. Maybe your mood dips today at 6 pm making you not feel like reading.
What you're going to make sure is you complete the tasks before sleep. It can be as soon as you wake up, noon or even midnight. Do things when you feel slightly better compared to other patterns.
A mood tracking app might help, click here if you need one.
Lesson 3: It's not you vs. fake influencers
Instagram creators and productivity influencers post their successes, not their journey. They keep out the lows in life and show only their best parts of life. It may even look flawless. It seems perfect, but it's just half of the story.
Follow realistic creators (like me, lol - click here to check out my Instagram @akhinabr) who post their suffering, downs and also their complete journey.
Lesson 4: Sleep like a baby
Protect your sleep like your life depends on it (cause it kinda does).
Sleep affects your:
Mood
Energy
Focus
Stress
I used to sleep for 3-4 hours at night and spent most of my time coding or designing resources. Yes, it felt productive but if we took the overall daily average for the quality and time spent working on a project - it was bad.
Instead, now I sleep for 8+ hours and I can actually get things done faster and more efficiently without compromising the quality.
Lesson 5: Focus on 1 task, not 5
The free version of most habit tracker apps allow up to 5 tasks BUT that doesn't mean you need to use it all up. Start with just one habit or one task per day.
Depression reduces the mental bandwidth (amount of information/tasks your mind can take without feeling pressure) and it's your duty to make sure you use it wisely. Don't overdo it. Use your mind efficiently.
Finish an assignment
Apply for one job
Complete one workout
Choose only one meaningful task for the whole day. Yes, 1 task in 24 hours.
Lesson 6: Movement is key
I had multiple surgeries (nothing serious) and I just laid on bed all day.
I forced myself to be productive laying on my bed with a laptop from morning to night. It didn't work out as I had in mind. My therapist suggested to move more often. I told her that I don't feel like going on walks. She said, you don't have to go for a walk to move.
Walk till the fridge once in a while for a cold sip of water
Walk outside your house for 5 minutes
Get some sunlight
Start small.
Key takeaways
Stop chasing perfect productivity.
Focus on consistency.
Lower the bar when necessary.
Small wins count.
Recovery and productivity can happen together.
Conclusion
You don't need to become a productivity machine. You only need to keep moving forward, even if today's progress looks smaller than yesterday's.
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