Even after the longest, most grueling day, there’s a twinge of restless guilt in settling in for the night. Maybe there are a couple items left uncrossed on the to-do list or some schoolwork worth getting ahead on, but nothing sounds better than sitting down, putting the laptop away, and tuning in for some easy entertainment. To power through the fatigue is to burn out, but giving into the temptation of sloth feels like giving up on yourself.
In our growth centric world of side hustles and self-improvement, remaining stagnant can feel like moving backwards. We don’t just take breaks, we ‘bed rot’— as if taking a breather is akin to death itself. Every idle moment is one that could and should have been used more efficiently. And how did we get to this point? Unsurprisingly, social media plays a big starring role in this.
Certain popular forms of online content — GRWM’s, day in the life, what I eat in a day — beg the viewer to compare their lives to others. Some of these influencers wake up at five am, head to the gym, drink nauseously bright-colored smoothies, go to work (remotely, from their picture perfect home office), run a marathon, start a business, and eat nothing but pre-portioned and prepped meals (which, of course, you can watch a video of them preparing). And they do it all from an apartment where rent costs more than your tuition, with serene natural lighting and front-porch view of the Pacific.
We see sixty seconds worth of clips from their day and fill in the gaps with a beautiful fantasy of a perfect, but entirely false, life. And they know it! Making you feel this way is their job.
It’s easy to aspire for the squeaky-clean, unattainable image of productivity that these influencers represent, but when you feel yourself slipping into the pit of guilt telling you that you’re not working hard enough, maybe these reminders will pull you out:
- It’s time to turn the phone off.
The quickest fix to social media driven guilt is, who would have guessed, taking a break from social media. It’s no secret that our smartphones are tying us down and negatively impacting our lives in many ways. Too much screen time can lead to an increase in anxiety and depression, as well as generally low psychological well being.
Influencers and Pinterest vision boards might seem like good motivation, but digital preparation can quickly turn into debilitating procrastination. Take a break from meticulously planning the ‘future you’ and spend some time appreciating the person you are now. Getting some fresh air or chatting with friends can ground you in the present and give you some much-needed time off from the hustle.
- Your perfect schedule is yours.
Tom Ford became a household name in fashion off three hours a night, but plenty of wildly successful people prefer their beauty sleep. Pablo Picasso slept in until 11 am and started the day leisurely. With over 50,000 works of art across his lifetime, he’s considered the most prolific artist of all time, despite not even touching a brush until two p.m.
Waking up at five am and hitting the gym might be some people’s golden routine, but if you’ve tried and struggled to make it work, it’s time to reconsider. Find the routine that works for your needs and energy levels. Forcing yourself into someone else’s routine is like forcing yourself into their clothes — if it doesn’t fit or feel like you, it isn’t right.
- Novelty is just as important as consistency.
You don’t need to time your day out by the minute or give up fun to build a daily schedule. By far the greatest, and most undervalued, thing a routine can give you is the opportunity to break it. Novelty is a neurological superpower that is essential to a long and happy life. Mixing new experiences with the familiar can make you more creative, improve your memory, and boost overall happiness.
By swapping your daily run with a dance class or cycling through the park, you’re stepping away from routine to come back stronger. See what hobby groups regularly meet in your area on platforms like Meetup or try that new restaurant you’ve been eyeing. Grab some friends or boldly venture alone to cross some items off your bucket list.
- Your life is not a project.
You are a human being, not a machine. The hustle-heavy culture we live in can make it feel like there is some idealized version of you out there if you work hard enough for it. No amount of green juice, meditation, or exercise will make you perfect — and that’s okay.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to build healthier habits, but there’s nothing wrong with taking breaks from your hectic life, either. Sleeping in one day and watching two or three (or six) episodes of your favorite show doesn’t mean you’re falling behind or won’t achieve the goals you’ve set out for.
Productivity guilt can seriously weigh you down. If you find yourself falling into this pit of comparing your daily routines and habits to others, it might be time for some self-reflection. Here’s one question to start you off: How would you define success if you weren’t given an Anthropologie-clad blueprint on your FYP? Let breaking this habit of comparison be the next goal you strive for.