Ineffective at work

I talked to a student today - though telling you this is probably (quite rightly) an invasion of my obligation of privacy to students.

So I'm not going to tell you what was said in any shape or form. 

But what struck me just now was ... well let me tell you the background... 

I've been very ineffective for a few weeks.  For example today there were a few things I wanted to do when I went to work in the morning.  One was simple, rather urgent as I should have done it days or weeks ago, and would take a few minutes when I got into work at about 10am.  It's after 8pm and I haven't done it yet. 

When I got into work an even more urgent thing came up so that distracted me.  But that was another relatively simple task, which I finished about 1pm or just after. 

Very often the last few weeks I've been doing this kind of thing. Simple tasks getting done late at night or not at all.   I've just about been holding it together, but I just have not been effective at my job. 

So that's the background.

What struck me today was that this may be a symptom of having been depressed.  It's not been terrible but it's not been great either.   And when I'm on form I can zip through some of these simple tasks.  Because they are simple.  It's often a case of being able to start them.  Because I can do them if I start them. 

Also the last few days I've been having a mild cold or other mild illness.  Not a big deal but it's slowed me down a lot, maybe making me more aware of my uselessness.  Which I say (the word useless) not as an honest assessment, but as my internal feeling.