Often, struggles with productivity can be overcome with the adoption of new habits, the rejection of negative habits, and all manner of productivity hacks. However, productivity struggles can also be the result of mental health issues, in which case the aforementioned solutions may not always work. Indeed, when mental health problems become unmanageable, and your productivity seriously suffers, it may be time to seek support and treatment.
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The Connection Between Mental Health and Productivity
There is a clear relationship between mental health issues and productivity. Reduced productivity is a common sign of depression, for example. When experiencing clinical depression, you may experience inexplicable tiredness, a lack of energy and motivation, troubles with concentration, a loss of interest in activities, and a sense of purposelessness. All of these symptoms can, of course, impact productivity.
Other mental health issues can likewise affect productivity. For example, anxiety disorders can involve restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and excessive worrying – all of which can make it a real struggle to focus on tasks and complete them. Meanwhile, those suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) regularly experience disorganization, a failure to meet deadlines, an inability to manage workloads, and problems with supervisors and coworkers.
Signs You Need Outside Help Rather than Productivity Hacks
Many of the techniques for boosting productivity can, in fact, help productivity struggles related to poor mental health. These strategies may include regular exercise and meditation, good sleep hygiene, and habit change. However, when mental health issues are particularly severe, it can be hard to deal with them on your own.
Here are some signs you need mental health support or treatment for your productivity struggles:
- Lifestyle changes only take you so far. No matter how many positive changes you make or productivity hacks you adopt, you cannot be as productive as normal.
- You may simply not have the energy or motivation to make significant lifestyle changes in the first place. This often applies to severe states of mental distress.
- You see no point in doing anything, which may be due to depression. This feeling can manifest as abandoning one’s tasks entirely, resulting in lost workdays. Other behavioral changes may include struggling to get out of bed, staying in bed for longer than usual, and neglecting your duties, hobbies, and personal projects.
- Completing normal tasks is extremely difficult. You may experience brain fog and fatigue that you can’t overcome, no matter what you do, which makes tasks more taxing than usual. Normal tasks can feel like insurmountable challenges and completing them can leave you feeling even more exhausted and drained.
If you are really struggling to get anything done, then it may be time to seek mental health support or treatment. This can take the form of prescribed medication (which should ideally involve the guidance of a psychiatrist), regular sessions with a psychotherapist, attending a mental health support group, or emotional support from family and friends.
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With the right kind of outside support and help, you can regain a sense of mental well being, which will naturally help you to be more productive. It’s important to keep in mind that productivity struggles do not have to be something that you deal with completely on your own. It can be virtuous to get help when you need it.