It’s been a year since this awful mess started, and after some retrospection, I’ve realized something I didn’t even know I was dealing with. Throughout the pandemic, with all the time now at our disposal, an environment has been enforced pressuring everyone to be productive and “make the most” of all this seemingly bountiful time. The thing is, that mindset is inherently harmful to the well-being of all individuals.
The unattainable standard of productivity was created to overwork and exploit human beings for labor. Capitalism teaches us that success results from performing well within a certain market or discipline. By that logic, to become successful, one must put forth a consistent effort to create or do something that will ultimately benefit an entity (such as a corporate executive or a school) other than oneself.
And supposedly, being successful leads to happiness. At least that’s what this economic system wants us to think. But the thing is, to fulfill the standard set forth of “successful people,” we must sacrifice so much of ourselves. Is it worth risking our mental and physical health for the sake of securing “success”? I don’t think so, and I’m not alone.
Life coach Nico De Napoli says, “Neuroscience and positive psychology studies prove that happiness is crucial to achieving success. By triggering the release of hormones that enhance memory, focus, motivation, and problem-solving, positive emotions help the brain work better.”
Even if you are an individual who values goals pertaining to succeeding academically or professionally, you must prioritize your own wellbeing if you hope to ever achieve anything worthwhile. Killing yourself to reach a desired life of happiness is no way to live. And, by prioritizing productivity over prosperity, you inhibit your ability to work constructively, when necessary.
One of my favorite philosophers, Jean-Paul Satre, famously sermonized “existence precedes essence,” meaning that we are born without a purpose. He dedicated much of his life to explaining that this ideology isn’t scary or limiting. On the contrary, it frees us from the confines of living up to a preordained potential.
Satre believed that a lack of meaning in life gave humans the ultimate freedom to decide for ourselves the best way to live. So if we’re able to decide what objective we’d like to commit (or not commit) our lives to, why must we unquestionably assume a state of being that prioritizes busyness?
Especially at the beginning of the pandemic, there was an extensive culture of people talking about how much they would get done in quarantine. Promises of new languages to be learned and home improvements to be made perpetuated the idea that every moment of free time available to us had to be used in some ‘productive’ manner, especially considering that the workload of many individuals (like students at LHS) decreased dramatically. But this all happened for the goal of feeling successful in quarantine, without having many outlets to actually succeed in. So we constructed a world that made sense to us, with impossible goals to reach.
Since January, I’ve had a huge list of things to do over Spring Break. From prepping for my AP United States History exam to revising old math tests, I intended to have a week jam-packed with things to do and tasks to accomplish.
But lo and behold, the break rolled around and in comparison to the rigid schedule I prepared, I did nothing. I slept, and I binged Crash Course Philosophy videos, and I felt oh so guilty about not completing the tasks that I set out to do.
But I’ve come to realize that even though I feel pressured to work constantly, doing things solely for myself (even if it’s just getting a few extra hours of sleep or being serenaded by Hank Green’s voice) is more important than doing work for school. We are not machines; we cannot function without enrichment and self-care and rest. Feeling guilt for spending every waking hour of the day working on school-related projects is very purposefully enforced by capitalism.
So, productivity can look like getting lots done for school. But the way that the word ‘productivity’ is utilized and applied often makes it seem like you must be productive always, and that you only meet the definition of being productive when you are working – doing something directly tied to your job or schooling.
I’d like to reconsider our usage of this word. Perhaps instead of only being productive when we are completing tasks and projects for our employers or teachers, we’re also being productive when we take time for ourselves. To live the most fulfilling lives we can, we have to remove ourselves (at least somewhat) from toxic mindsets and falling into the trap of becoming obsequiously attached to empty promises of “success.”
Success can be climbing the corporate ladder or being at the top of your class, but those definitions are extraordinarily limiting to the state of being human. You can be successful solely by getting out of bed in the morning, or spontaneously making a collage just because. You don’t have to work yourself to the bone to be successful, and you don’t have to live up to standards set by other people.
Learning to remove yourself from the culture of toxic productivity isn’t easy, and I’m not going to act like I’m an expert on this issue. But taking the pressure off of myself to consistently be busy has greatly improved my happiness and self-esteem. Especially in (say it with me) uncertain times, resting our minds, bodies, and souls is crucial to surviving a world hellbent on pushing you to become something you are incapable of becoming. In days of pressure, take a deep breath and allow yourself to be still.