Writing and the Great Depression...

Like many other folks out there, I’ve had my struggles with depression.

I’ve been on a positive upswing for the past few years, but these past few months have been difficult. Call it persistent feelings of frustration and hopelessness weighing me down. It’s a nuisance I really can’t afford to deal with these days—I have too much on my plate and can’t take some time to just stay on the couch for hours, which admittedly is all I feel like doing lately.

But anyway.

The most annoying part is that my writing is starting to feel the effects. It’s perfectly clear when I’m not at the top of my game mentally or even physically. I’ll go back to read what I’ve done, and I notice a lot of passive voice, excessive “wordiness”, and an overall feeling of…blah. It’s obvious to me, so it must be obvious to others, too. But the thought of going back and editing is overwhelming, too.

I’m curious how others can put aside their own “stuff” and still turn out quality work. I know lots of other writers who struggle with various conditions, and I’m amazed that they can still get it all done. I get it done, but it’s not necessarily my most stellar work.

How do you handle it? How do you continue to churn out projects when you’re simply not feeling up to it?