Michelle Obama admitted in her recent podcast episode that COVID-19 and the political and cultural unrest going on is giving her low-grade depression.

The former U.S. First Lady opened up about how she is coping with quarantine during Wednesday's episode of "The Michelle Obama Podcast" on Spotify with guest, former NPR host and U.S. journalist, Michele Norris. Obama told Norris that "spiritually, these are not fulfilling times" and that she is "dealing with some form of low-grade depression."

"There have been periods throughout this quarantine where I've felt too low," Obama admitted.

She shared that she has been having sleeping problems that wake her up in the middle of the night because she is "worrying about something or there's a heaviness." She admitted that she also has difficulties with her exercise routine.

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We’ve all been dealing with a lot of change in our lives and our communities. We’ve experienced the shock—and the aftershocks—of the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. And all this is happening amid this life-altering pandemic, which has upended so much of life as we’ve always understood it. All this change can feel pretty heavy—and we’re often left to deal with it at a moment when we’re forced to spend more time alone—more time in our own heads—than we’re used to. I couldn’t think of anyone better to talk about all of this with than my friend and confidante, @michele__norris. In the next episode of The #MichelleObamaPodcast, we're talking about life during this strange and exhausting time. You can listen to our conversation now on @Spotify—link in my bio.

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Obama said her low-grade depression is not just a result of the quarantine brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also from the Donald Trump administration and the Black Lives Matter protests sparked from George Floyd's death.

"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," Obama explained.

The 56-year-old "Becoming" author admitted that 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." She said these stories put on a "lot of weight" that she has not felt in her life in a while.

However, she said that "schedule is key" and maintaining a routine helps her manage these feelings. Obama has her family to thank for helping her cope with her depression. She told Norris that they have been spending quarantine mulling over puzzles and having conversations over dinner.

"Puzzles have become big. The girls are into them. We're all sitting on the floor around the table where the puzzle is now permanently set up and then we sit down for dinner and we talk some more," she said.

Despite the negative feelings, Obama reflected on how this pandemic reminded her of "our self-sufficiency." She also assured that "we will get through this."

Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama with former President Barack Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha pose for a family portrait with their pets Bo and Sunny in the Rose Garden of the White House Getty
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