Julie Fast on Getting It Done When You’re Depressed: Practical Strategies for Productivity

Beyond the To-Do List - Productivity for Work and Life

Erik Fisher

Business, Entrepreneurship, Self-improvement, Careers, Education

4.5 • 875 Ratings

🗓️ 10 April 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode we revisit a conversation with Julie Fast, author of Getting It Done When You’re Depressed: 50 Strategies to Help You Achieve Productivity Even with Depression, Anxiety, or ADHD. She shares her expertise on how to overcome productivity barriers caused by mental health struggles. Julie, who has lived with bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and ADHD, offers strategies and real-life insights on how to get things done even when your brain isn’t cooperating. In this conversation, we explore: Understanding Depression and Productivity: Julie explains how depression can make it nearly impossible to get started, and why it’s important to develop a system to help push through the inertia and achieve even small tasks. The Myth of Motivation: We discuss why motivation doesn’t come first and how action leads to motivation, especially for those struggling with depression. Building a Plan for the Basics: Julie talks about the importance of having a plan for simple daily tasks, like brushing your teeth or answering emails, and why these are the foundation for larger accomplishments. Feeling the Depression and Doing It Anyway: Julie discusses the power of acknowledging your depression and still taking action, even when you don’t feel like it, and why this is crucial for maintaining progress. Creating a Realistic Workspace: We explore how setting up a manageable work environment and using time limits, like the Pomodoro technique, can help get things done despite depression or ADHD. Julie’s approach is rooted in empathy, understanding, and actionable advice for anyone struggling to balance mental health and productivity. This conversation is for those who need practical strategies for getting things done without the pressure to be perfect. Learn more about Julie and her work at JulieFast.com and find Getting It Done When You’re Depressed on Amazon and other retailers. Connect with Erik: LinkedIn Facebook Bluesky This Podcast is Powered By: Descript Descript 101 Castmagic Ecamm Podpage Rodecaster Pro Top Productivity Books List Make sure to support the show by checking out the sponsors! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome back to Beyond the To Do List, a podcast about productivity. I'm your host,
0:22.5	Eric Fisher, and I'm excited to revisit a conversation I had with Julie Fast. She's the author of
0:29.5	Getting It Done When You're Depressed, 50 Strategies to Help You Achieve Productivity,
0:34.3	Even with Depression, Anxiety, or ADHD. And I think we can all admit we find
0:40.4	ourselves in a much more anxiety-ridden time. And I don't know about you, but I know that I've had
0:46.8	a harder time, staying focused, going about my business and getting the things done that I need
0:52.9	to. And it made me remember that I had this
0:55.3	conversation in the bank and thought, you know what, we need to revisit this. In this conversation,
1:00.4	Julie is sharing actionable strategies like focusing on small, manageable tasks, using time limits,
1:07.5	and just overall understanding that motivation follows action and not the other way around.
1:13.0	So if like me, you're struggling to stay productive because of mental health challenges,
1:18.1	this episode with Julie Fast is going to be impactful for you.
1:24.7	Well, this week, it is my privilege to welcome to the show, Julie Fast.
1:29.5	Julie, welcome to the show.
1:31.1	Hi, it's nice to be here.
1:32.5	So this is a topic.
1:35.0	We've danced around, I think, at times on this show.
1:39.8	We try to take a holistic approach to productivity.
1:46.4	We encounter all the different kinds of tools and tips and tricks, mentalities, approaches, all of that. But then we also try to talk
1:53.8	about the things that hinder our productivity when it comes from an emotional or a mental
1:58.5	or even a physical approach or, you know, those hurdles,
2:02.1	in other words, those blockers.
	...

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