Michelle Obama has revealed that she is suffering from low-grade depression partly due to pandemic and racial injustice.
The former US first lady made this revelation while speaking to US journalist Michele Norris.
Mrs Obama said she has had difficulties with her exercise routine and sleep schedule.
“I’m waking up in the middle of the night because I’m worried about something or there’s heaviness.”I try to make sure I get a workout in. Although there have been periods throughout this — quarantine — where I just have felt too low.”
“These are not, they are not fulfilling times, spiritually,” Mrs Obama said. “I know that I am dealing with some form of low-grade depression.
“Not just because of the quarantine, but because of the racial strife, and just seeing this administration, watching the hypocrisy of it, day in and day out, is dispiriting.”
She also said it is “exhausting” to be “waking up to yet another story of a black man or a black person somehow being dehumanised, or hurt, or killed, or falsely accused of something.”
“And it has led to a weight that I haven’t felt in my life, in a while,” she said.
However, she said “schedule is key” to managing these feelings – and that maintaining a routine has become even more important to her in the pandemic.
She also said what has helped is sticking to her routine as much possible while giving herself a break when needed and staying connected with the people she loves.