Michelle Obama Gets Candid about Depression, Hobbies & Family Life Amid Her COVID Year

The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on the world when it peaked in 2020, affecting everyone's lives including the Obamas.

Former FLOTUS Michelle Obama opened up about her personal struggles during this past year while the world battled the COVID-19 scourge.

In a recent interview, the mother of two detailed some of the major highlights of her life during the tumultuous year 2020. From the lockdown to quarantining with her family and dealing with mental health issues, Michelle left no stone unturned.

OBAMA'S IMPORTANT LESSON

During the extensive interview for People's Magazine, the 57-year-old reflected on the impact of the COVID-19 year on her family. Yet, they managed to grab one important lesson from the experience. The "Becoming" author explained:

"Many people have struggled: Jobs lost, people going hungry. We've learned to count our blessings, the importance of health, and family."

Michelle went on to highlight a handful of times where her health and family were tested during the difficult year and how they scaled through.

MICHELLE'S MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLE

Michelle was candid about her struggles with mental health amid the pandemic. She admitted to coming down with low-grade depression, which affects millions of Americans yearly. These figures have been on the rise since the viral outbreak.

Despite the shared happy moments as a family, it was not all fun in the Obama household.

Going further, Barack Obama's wife encouraged Americans to speak up more often about their mental health, as voicing out was a huge step in the recovery process.

She also noted that dealing with shock, upheavals, and traumas, such as experienced during the COVID-19 year, were contributing factors to depression.

RESTRUCTURING HER FAMILY LIFE

Michelle and Barack, who became empty-nesters following their daughters' departure to college, had to grow accustomed to having them around once again. Reflecting on the experience, Michelle said:

"This time has allowed us to get some stolen moments back with our girls. Those recaptured moments have meant the world to us."

The mother-of-two explained how the challenging year made their relationship with Malia, a senior at Harvard, and Sasha, a Sophomore at the University of Michigan, even stronger.

REFLECTING ON THE CONS

Despite the shared happy moments as a family, it was not all fun in the Obama household. Last September, the author made an appearance on Conan O'Brian's show where she discussed some sad experiences with her daughters.

Michelle recounted how the lockdown began as a happy adventure for the family to spend time together, play games, and learn from each other. However, as the weeks extended to months, Malia and Sasha got bored of their parents.

The ex-FLOTUS admitted to also becoming sick of having the kids around and craving more time outside the house. Luckily, the lockdown gradually began easing off.

The girls have also commenced their Zoom classes, which availed them another avenue to express themselves. 2020 was indeed a tumultuous ride for the Obamas, but luckily, they made it through, emerging stronger and happier.