The Myth of Staying Productive

      Having a list of things to get done within a week gives you space and time to do them. This way, you don’t overwhelm yourself with ten activities to complete within a day. Do work while you are uninspired or tired. It may not be ideal, but it’s not impossible. This is nice advice and all, but some days it’s not helpful. In this capitalist society, we feel accomplished and proud of ourselves when we’re “being productive” getting things done and making money. Always working, working, working. Why don’t we pride ourselves on health? Taking care of our bodies and our environment? We should pride ourselves on creating open spaces for people to speak on issues that are considered taboo, like mental health. Why is it okay to grind ourselves into the dirt for the sake of “being productive”? Taking breaks to focus on well-being should be encouraged, not frowned upon. You need energy to keep going.

      There are some days when I don’t have energy to do something and that’s okay. It means I need to think about where that lack of energy is stemming from. It could be lack of sleep, or simply lack of motivation. You will never stop having things to do. I wish society cared more about the well-being of others, instead of seeing them as robots that never tire.

      When I begin to feel overwhelmed with work, I turn to my faith to remind me of why I’m doing this. Following society can be a dangerous thing. The more you allow others to dictate your life, the less of life you get to live. Now, you can’t even be yourself. That’s unacceptable. My faith in God gives me the direction I need to stay on so distractions like social media or people’s opinions don’t sway me on the wrong path. On that note, Let’s work on uplifting and respecting others. Stop treating fast food service like your personal servants. Stop judging and insulting strangers on Facebook. Focus on what’s important, like taking care of yourself, because there are institutions and individuals who couldn’t care less about you. Go ahead and achieve those goals, but don't let them define you.