Almost everyone at some point has encountered a task that is seemingly simple, but no matter what they do, they can’t complete it. These tasks can be as straightforward as making the bed or something bigger, like cleaning an entire room. For many, this is an obstacle that they may want to do but can’t, which weighs heavily on them and becomes detrimental to their mental health. It’s important to understand that the impossible task is not a sign of laziness; depression and anxiety can make any task feel much bigger and more difficult than it actually is. If you find yourself unable to do the things you need or want to do, try these techniques to help overcome your obstacles. BREAK UP THE TASK. When the overarching task feels daunting, breaking it up into smaller segments can help you manage it. If you’re cleaning the kitchen, clean for only a few minutes at a time before taking a break. It might take longer, but the space will be clean at the end of the day. MAKE THE TASK MORE ENJOYABLE. Play music or involve your pet in some way to make the task fun or create a reward system for yourself. For example, tidying a specific area of the house or Improving Your Mental Health One Step at a Time OVERCOMING THE IMPOSSIBLE TASK
folding a basket of laundry may earn you time to play video games or watch TV. Alternating tasks and rewards is a great way to overcome any task, big or small.
It can help to consider why the task feels so impossible, especially if you used to enjoy it. Try to remember what made it enjoyable and see if you can return to that state of mind. If the objective is not so urgent, determine its importance and if the task can be saved for another day. When all else fails, you can always ask someone for support or even pay someone else to do the task for you. No matter what you decide, there are ways to defeat the impossible task.
Back to Normal
Jonathan Shares His Experience With Dr. Scott Jonathan has a genetic condition that predisposes him to basal cell carcinoma (BCC), so he regularly sees a dermatologist. When his doctor had been prepared for that possibility but was thankful Dr. Scott completed the surgery with the eyelid’s existing skin.
After his surgery this summer, “I had to wear an eye patch for about a week,” Jonathan remembers. “It was relatively painless. With the stitching from the reconstruction, it was more annoying and itchy, and there was a temptation to scratch it.” But with the help of time, eye drops, and some ointments, he made it through and is enjoying his new cancer-free eyelid. Jonathan graduated from Virginia Tech in May with a degree in theater. He has just finished an IT internship at his father’s engineering company, and he’s looking forward to starting his career as an actor. “I also do a little bit of screenwriting and filmmaking,” he notes. In his downtime, he’s been a big roller coaster enthusiast for over a decade, and he says his favorite is probably Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point in Sandusky. “I’m definitely happy with the work Dr. Scott did,” Jonathan says. Prior to the surgery, he was warned that his eyelid might not work the same as it had before. “It was a major concern,” he says, “but my eyelid works perfectly.” Having regained full eye functionality, Jonathan is now looking forward to his post-college life, along with a new career on stage and screen.
found a new BCC on his upper eyelid, he recommended Dr. Scott at Eye Plastic Associates to help confirm of the diagnosis and then subsequently perform the required eyelid reconstruction once the full tumor was removed by a Mohs surgeon.
Upon meeting Dr. Scott, Jonathan remembers him as being “short, sweet, and straight to the point. He was nice, and he was also kind of funny.” After taking a biopsy of the BCC, Jonathan says Dr. Scott explained in detail how the procedure would work. “He was very precise and very good at explaining what he was going to do,” Jonathan says. Dr. Scott was initially concerned that Jonathan’s upper eyelid might not have enough elasticity for the reconstruction, and he thought he might have to take a piece of skin or muscle from elsewhere on Jonathan’s body. Jonathan
2 www.EyePlasticMD.com
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