Mental Health, Small Business

When Hustle Meets Depression

What Do You Do When Your Hustle Grinds to a Halt

Photo by Joice Kelly on Unsplash

It seems when depression lets itself in uninvited, my list of things I should do multiplies. I should be writing. I should be doing more email marketing and Instagram commenting. And I really should respond to that email.

My list of failures and lack of progress starts to become louder too.

These lists of shoulds and fails are like the boot that keeps you down after depression knocks you off your feet.

Nowadays, I know depression will pass. A bout of depression always does. But I wish it’d hurry up so I can get moving again. Instead, I’d rather sleep another couple of hours.

I don’t know how to fast-forward a wave of depression. I don’t know how to keep working on something. But here’s been my action plan when depression hits:

1. Prioritize — Most emails can wait. Most tasks can wait. It’s hard to believe, but really, a lot of things can wait. Ask yourself, if you had the flu, what would be on the back burner? Let that help you prioritize and keep it simple.
2. Schedule wisely — Remember how things can wait? Reschedule things a day or two later, or even a week later. Rescheduling can be an…