Productivity Habits for the Bipolar or Depressed Individual (Part 1)

People with bipolar or depression often slow productivity at work when the symptoms of depression increase. We are told the more you accomplish, the more the reward you will receive. Sometimes the reward is a financial gain, sometimes a job status gain and maybe both types of gain will occur. The more productive we are in a given set of time, whether it is a work day or an assignment, might lead to more free time or less overtime, giving us more time in our personal and family life. Let's try a few productivity habits for bipolar or depression (you don't have to try all of them at once, but utilizing multiple techniques may lead you to success more quickly).

Top Productivity Habits for Bipolar and Depressed People

First Things First

Take care of your most important thing first. This is your number one on the hit list. The things that you must finish today are your big priorities. Priorities are hard item to define when suffering from depression or bipolar. “Fire drills” and other work interruptions may happen, but it is your duty to tell others that I can't help you right now, I have something that takes priority. This does not mean you can't stop for a two minute question and answer, but several twenty minute interruptions can put you behind an hour or more.

If you delay in completing or even starting your most important items. I assume you will have more than one important item on a typical day. You will end up not finishing your most important items or maybe not even starting these items which would lead to some form of input from a supervisor. Get someone to be your mentor to review or advise you on your list. If you are not sure you are decoding the proper priorities, or if your supervisor hints to you that you are not working on the correct choices, ask for assistance to be able to do better yourself.

Clear Your Space

Remove clutter from your workspace. Another difficult item for some with bipolar disorder. We all live with a certain amount of clutter but when your files turn into piles and piles hold your workspace captive. It is time to clean house. This is the same whether you are bound to a desk or bound to a toolbox.

Organization helps you find your papers, tools or your coffee cup without wasting time. Also when you have one job going work till it is finished. I know having multiple jobs open at the same time for the bipolar individual is the norm. It probably doesn't help in getting the work done.

Productivity Habits for the Bipolar or Depressed Individual (Part 2)