Social media influencers like to showcase their “perfect”, healthy routines. With the rise of the “clean girl” aesthetic, many social media platforms have begun to glorify extreme productivity. Most of these posts display a woman who is put together, her hair done, minimal makeup always applied and nails never chipped.
These types of girls have time to work out, hold full-time job positions, attend school, maintain a social life and find time for themselves. It got me thinking…are these habits truly sustainable?
I am all for a productive day. Getting work done, going to the gym and seeing my friends are all things I enjoy, but is this really attainable every day? While these trends have been inspiring society, they have also encouraged overworking and unrealistic expectations, without displaying the reality of burnout.
Influencers often tend to highlight their success. Waking up, drinking water, making a healthy breakfast, journaling and so on. Young adults are particularly susceptible to these influences because we are seeking guidance in ways to improve our own lives.
While these routines seem to set many people up for success, they make it all too easy to fall into an unhealthy cycle.
Constant exposure to curated routines can lead to overcommitment. Because these influencers never show the hardships or burnout they face, it causes many of us to feel guilty if we don’t have a productive day. There becomes a pressure to “optimize” every moment.
Even when we are recovering from a hard week of work, it feels difficult to fully relax out of the fear that we should be doing more. This causes the line between motivation and obsession to become blurred. Motivation shouldn’t be an overbearing factor in our lives.
When this occurs, people start tracking every hour of their day, filling it with work, overwhelming themselves to an extreme point. Ultimately, constantly rushing through life is not the way humans were meant to live.
I know personally, this semester has been extremely busy. There have been days when I’m in the library for hours, and some days when I can’t even look at my computer for more than 30 minutes. However, I’ve noticed that during the few hours of the day when I let myself relax, I feel guilty!
When I take a scroll break on my phone, I find that all I can watch are people promoting productivity. It’s almost out of shame. I feel such remorse for taking a break, I have to watch people “doing it better than me” so I can get back to my work.
It’s a never-ending cycle, and I find myself unable to fully release myself from the mindset that my school work is the most important thing in my life. Even if I’m out with friends or going for a workout, I find myself thinking of all that I have to get done.
Even Sunday resets promote unhealthy behavior. Instead of being able to relax and take care of ourselves one day out of the week, we all feel compelled to clean, do laundry, meal prep, journal and study. We never give ourselves any grace.
Feeling guilty because we took some time for ourselves isn’t something that should become normalized.
This comparison leads us to feel as though we are living unproductive lives when our experiences don’t match the curated content we see online. It instills not only stress but also depression.
We aren’t meant to be productive every day, as every day looks different. Some days we will get more work done than others, and that is okay, and if anything, completely normal.
We need to recognize that social media is only a highlight reel, showing people in their best moments. Due to this, we need to be mindful of our consumption. Following creators who promote balance and realistic habits is extremely important.
Social media’s portrayal of “extreme healthy habits” can inspire but also put pressure on individuals towards over productivity. It’s okay to want to take care of yourself and aim high, but it is also normal to need time in between these productive days. Take some time to lie in bed and watch movies, and to embrace the slow life.
It isn’t always about being the person who can “do it all.” True health and productivity come from balance, not chasing viral trends.