Betty's Cotton Crochet Mandala + Moving Through Depression

Betty in West Virginia writes, “I decided to make my mandala with cotton to show versatility. You can put two of these together and make hot pads!”

My attention was caught recently by an article smartly titled, “You Do Not Overcome Depression, You Move Through It“. It is specifically about depression among entrepreneurs and how the traits that make for good entrepreneurs can make it difficult to heal through depression.

A key factor discussed is that entrepreneurs are great at making checklist and getting things done, but that’s not how it works in depression… resolving depression is often about making many lifestyle changes, making small steps forward and celebrating the good days. Depression won’t go away because you’ve “done” everything on the “to do” list.

I’m not sure that I completely understand the link. As a solopreneur, I find that checklists do sometimes help me get work done and checklists do sometimes help me manage my depression. (It can be helpful for me to write a to-do list for basic self-care and to move through it even on days when I don’t feel like it.) And I also find that the creative flexibility that helps me find solutions to my depression also helps me in my work. That said, I get the gist of what’s been said here and think that there’s something really fabulous about the fact that depression in all workplaces is getting more attention and awareness. The way we have shaped our contemporary society doesn’t seem conducive to mental health to me and I’m glad to see things shifting.

This post is part of the Mandalas for Marinke remembrance project.