Rethinking Productivity

We are always on the move constantly trying to be as productive as possible. But how do we define productivity? Most people would answer this as getting a lot of work or school assignments done. I counter that being productive should not be the same for everyone in society, and moreover, that while we have certain responsibilities, it is equally important to focus on your own health and happiness.

Feeling productive has been even more of a challenge for students and employees during the pandemic where nearly everything has gone virtual. Even over winter break when I didn’t have as many responsibilities, I felt like I should be doing something because I was so used to being glued to my laptop all day. The sad part is that of course I was doing things, but for some reason or another, I didn’t feel that spending time socially or creatively were as productive of a use of my time. For some people, getting up in the morning or making sure you eat a healthy amount is hard enough to do and frankly, should be considered a productive use of time. Sometimes just making it through the day is all you need to do.

During break, I tried my best to set good habits for taking care of myself to follow through throughout the semester. I realized that between working part-time in my research lab, going to the gym, learning to cook healthy meals, making time for my hobbies and keeping in touch with loved ones, it was more than enough to spend my energy and time for each day. Now, add on 12-18 credits of school. I’m planning to not allow these habits to be wiped out as the semester workload accumulates, and I think a way to ensure that is to prioritize my physical and mental health over school as much as possible.

There’s only so many hours in a day, so it’s important to not be too optimistic. From a fellow optimist, this is definitely difficult to be realistic about how much I can actually commit to every day. I’m involved in some capacity in six activities and organizations outside of class this semester, and it sounds very overwhelming and easy to fall behind. If I really want to stay involved in each of these, the best way to do so is to learn how to say no sometimes. I could sit at my computer all day and maybe feel productive, but on days when my health is a priority, I will feel the opposite – useless.

The main issue with thinking of productivity as only tangible, money-producing work is that it alters the way you think about yourself. It casts a negative light on anything else that makes you happy and your hobbies will always be in the back corner. Your hobbies might not be as obvious of a priority as taking care of your family, and that’s perfectly ok because your ability to balance responsibilities and hobbies may fluctuate depending on your life at that moment. The modern Western way of life and thinking is leading to a lot of people burning out mentally because of constantly feeling like you need to reach the next stage academically or professionally. I have hope that people will begin to understand that school and work is not everything in life, especially as more mainstream attention is given to the importance of mental health. It’s time we start prioritizing what truly makes us happy and not only focusing on busywork.

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