Why can’t I get anything done?
TIPS FOR WHEN MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS IMPACT YOUR PRODUCTIVITY
By Jackie Menjivar
(Keenan Beasley / Unsplash)
You know those times when your productivity just tanks? You’ve got a million unfinished projects, your chores are piling up, and your to-do list isn’t getting any smaller. People aren’t robots, so you can’t expect to just consistently churn out work…but you can definitely tell when you’re starting to sink.
It’s even more frustrating when you can’t nail down a good reason why you’re having such a hard time getting things done. You might feel guilty and label yourself a chronic procrastinator or just plain lazy. But if things have changed suddenly and drastically, there may be something deeper going on.
A lot of mental health conditions can affect your productivity — and they do it in different ways. ADHD can make it harder to stay focused. Depression can seriously drain your motivation. Anxiety can fuel paralyzing perfectionism. The bottom line: your mental health is gonna have an impact. Here’s what you need to know to manage it.
Am I lazy or depressed? Or do I have ADHD? Or is it something else?
Alright, let’s unpack the concept of laziness. Most of the time, it’s seen as a bad thing, and it’s a term used to put down people who aren’t “working hard enough.” But who decides what that looks like? And should a person’s value depend on their productivity? You are worth more than the stuff you can produce, the labor you can endure, or the tasks you can get done. At the end of the day, so-called laziness isn’t a character flaw.
These are better questions to get the answers you’re looking for: What’s your personal baseline for getting stuff done? How much do you normally accomplish? How much are you normally expected to accomplish? Are you experiencing any other shifts in your mood or behavior?
It’s normal for your energy and motivation to fluctuate. But if it’s a constant issue for you, even under the threat of serious consequences (like failing your class or losing your job), then something might be up. Another good benchmark: healthy “laziness” feels good and relaxing, but if it's coming from a place of mental unwellness, it’ll feel more hopeless and stuck.
A good first step is to take an online mental health screen for conditions like depression, anxiety, and ADHD. You can share your results with your doctor so they can help you get any support you may need.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to have a mental health condition to “justify” not working. You might just not be interested in or feel fulfilled by the work you have to do. Or it may be the difficulty or sheer amount of work that’s the issue.
How to be more productive (and care for your mental health!)
TAKE CARE OF THE BASICS
Think of your body like a tool. If you’re not taking care of it, then you’re gonna have a harder time getting work done with it. These are all things that can cause lethargy:
Too much or not enough physical activity
Sleep problems (too much, not enough, or an irregular schedule)
Not getting enough sunlight or time outdoors
Heavy or unbalanced meals
Too much sugar or caffeine (which can cause energy crashes)
Dehydration and vitamin deficiencies
Physical health conditions (like hypothyroidism or fibromyalgia)
A healthy diet or a consistent sleep schedule isn’t going to “cure” your mental health issues, but they’ll give you the best possible conditions for success.
RECOGNIZE WHEN YOU AVOID
If you’re not getting stuff done, what are you doing instead? You might just brush it off as simple procrastination, but it’s important to look a little deeper at the things you do when you’re avoiding your work. A lot of times, they can be rooted in your mental health struggles. Here’s what we mean:
Observe them. Maybe you get anxious when you think about everything you have to get done, and you start worrying that you’re going to fail. That feeling is too uncomfortable to sit with, so you try to delay it by taking a nap or making a snack instead. Or maybe you’re in a really unhappy and low-energy headspace, and sitting with your work just exacerbates that feeling. So you look for a dopamine boost to get you through the moment, pulling out your phone to scroll through TikTok or play a mobile game. They’re not things that are actually fulfilling you — they’re avoidance behaviors triggered by challenging emotions.
Address them. Once you can identify your avoidance behaviors and their root causes, it’s time to do something about them. Set a positive mantra as your phone background to help disrupt the urge to scroll. Or write it on a note and stick it to your fridge/pillow/whatever other place you go to hide from your feelings. Practice taking a second to think: Am I doing this behavior (and not my work) because I really want or need to, or am I doing this for quick relief? It helps to learn how to properly feel your feelings so you can tolerate those negative emotions instead of running away from them.
KEEP A ROUTINE
We’re not just talking about sitting down to do work at the same time every day (though that can also be helpful!). It’s also what you do before that can influence your productivity. Waking up late, staying in pajamas, and just pulling your laptop into bed with you isn’t going to set you up to get very much done. It doesn’t have to be super elaborate, but some kind of routine will kick start your day and get you in the right mindset. Your routine can be as simple as opening your curtains, brushing your teeth, and sitting at your desk. Try to nail two or three of these things (whatever feels actually manageable!) before a work session:
Make your bed
Get dressed
Brush your teeth
Take a shower
Make a cup of coffee or tea
Spend five minutes on a crossword puzzle
Sit at your desk
Drink a glass of water
Stretch
Say a positive mantra in the mirror
Focus on your breathing for one minute
Play a song
Step outside
Light a candle
BREAK IT DOWN
Staring at your mile-long to-do list is going to feel intimidating, so make it manageable. Start by picking just three things that you want to get done for the day (or if that’s not feeling doable, make it two or even just one). Then take your tasks and break those down even smaller. Like, micro level.
“Answer emails” becomes: sit at desk, open laptop, log in to email, read first email, hit reply, type a greeting, etc.
“Refill prescription” becomes: pull up prescription ID, look up pharmacy phone number, call pharmacy, request refill, get in the car, drive to pharmacy, etc.
“Write research paper” becomes: get dressed, pack a bag, walk to the library, open laptop, open a document, pull up the rubric, etc.
The smaller the steps, the less daunting it’ll feel to make progress. Try to get through as many micro-steps as you can without stopping.
EMBRACE THE IMPERFECT START
Sometimes the hardest part of getting stuff done is just starting. Perfectionism, fear of failure, or a lack of motivation can leave you feeling stuck where you are. Just remember that any progress is better than nothing, and once you’ve got yourself going, it’s a lot easier to keep it up. (An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion, or whatever Isaac Newton said.)
So how do you start? You could try counting down in your head, and forcing yourself to get up and act once you hit zero. Or you could use a tool like the Most Dangerous Writing App, which makes your work disappear if you don’t keep typing. Or as cliche as it sounds, try a quick mantra like: “The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.”
TRY A RESET
If you’re sitting there with your work in front of you and just can’t make any progress, it’s counterproductive to keep banging your head against a brick wall. You’ll only get more discouraged and frustrated. That’s when you know it’s time for a reset. These are some human equivalents to turning the power off and on again:
Take a walk around the block
Take a shower (try a really hot or really cold one)
Call a friend for a quick chat
Move your body in a gentle way (stretching, yoga, dancing)
Change your space (work in another room, your backyard, a cafe)
Change your look (put on something comfier or dressier, do your makeup, paint your nails)
Journal your thoughts out
Take a micro-nap
FIND YOUR STRATEGY
Some productivity hacks will work for you, and others won’t. You’ve just gotta trial-and-error your way into finding the right one. Here are some to try:
Eat the frog. This productivity method is based on a supposed Mark Twain quote: “If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.” So when it comes to productivity, eating the frog means taking the biggest, hardest, most intimidating task you have and doing it first thing, before anything else on your list.
Collect small wins. Kind of the opposite of eating the frog, you can work your way up to your harder task but getting small stuff done and building up your momentum. If seeing those little check marks on your to-do list makes you feel more confident, go for it! Answer an email, schedule a meeting, fill out that form, and then tackle the big project.
Have a Pomodoro session. This technique involves setting timers to work in 25-minute bursts, with alternating short and long breaks in between. If you struggle with time management and get easily distracted, this might be the one to try!
Get app-y. There are so many free apps out there to help you gamify your productivity. Forest keeps you off of your phone. Engross helps you track time and distractions. Todoist makes it easy to manage and schedule your to-do list.
Try body doubling. This strategy involves having someone working alongside you, either doing the same kind of task or a similar one. Having company can help calm you down, get you motivated, and keep you accountable. If you can meet up with a friend in person, try a zoom or facetime call. You can even search platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Twitch for “study streams” to find people livestreaming their own work routines, at all hours of the day.
REST WHEN YOU NEED TO
When you feel like you’re drowning in unfinished projects, remember to come up for air sometimes. You need rest to perform your best — and that means serious rest. It isn’t enough to get a few rushed hours of sleep or a multitasking meal in front of your laptop. Dropping everything might feel like the opposite of what you want to do when you have things you need to get done, but it’ll help you be more productive in the long run. Block out time in your schedule for things that recharge you, whether that’s yoga, reading, napping, or something else.
And another thing! If you know you’re having trouble with productivity and that you’re definitely not gonna do what you “should be” doing, at least do something that makes you feel good. Commit to not doing your work, and do something fulfilling instead. So instead of just guiltily scrolling through social media or staring off into space, go for a run, make a nice meal, or meet up with a friend. You might feel more rested and motivated by the end of it.
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Work shouldn’t be the most important thing in your life, but we can’t deny that there are very real reasons why it just needs to get done. Just be kind and patient with yourself, and take things day-by-day, hour-by-hour, or even minute-by-minute. Celebrate whatever progress you make, and trust that you can do this.