by Alexandra Mollon

Take one scroll through Instagram and you’ll likely be bombarded with messages encouraging the idea of taking this time to be productive, eat right, learn a new language, work out and pick up 750 new hobbies. This can absolutely be a transformational time for us; a time to learn new things and find outlets for our creativity. But this rhetoric is also leaning into dangerous territory of encouraging us to bulldoze through our emotions in the name of productivity.

In case no one has told you yet: you do not have to be productive right now. If your body feels heavy and like it needs rest, honor that. If your body has nervous energy you need to burn off with a run, do that. The most important thing we can do during this time is care for ourselves and each other.

We live in a society that often equates our self-worth with our ability to be productive. It’s an easy trap to fall into—especially now during COVID-19—when our regularly scheduled programming has been ripped out from under us. Before, keeping busy gave many of us a sense of purpose, organization and security. Now, we’re all floundering wondering what to do. Since the implementation of lock-down policies, posts and articles reminding us to stay productive and make the most out of our time haven’t slowed down, this philosophy implies that to exist we owe the world some form of rent in the currency of constant productivity.

Let’s Not Forget We’re in An Actual Pandemic

Here’s the thing, this is an international traumatic event. We are all grieving the lives we lost, we are all anxious about our uncertain futures, and we are all simply doing our best to survive a global pandemic. Experiencing trauma can be emotionally exhausting in and of itself—without the added stress of feeling like we need to be productive or learn a new skill or risk looking like we ‘wasted our quarantine’.

We should be taking care of ourselves right now. We, as a community, need to support one another—and we can’t do that if we’re running on empty. We’re also all trying not to get sick and stressing ourselves out, which is a surefire way of weakening our immune systems. We should be honoring our feelings and doing what we need.

Some of us have lost jobs, some of us have lost clients, some of us still have our jobs but are working under completely new and stressful conditions. Others are overworking as their companies may have laid people off and expected those who were left to pick up the slack. No matter our current situation, it’s safe to say it’s a whole new world we’re learning to navigate. 

I’m not here to tell you to be unproductive, that is by no means my goal. Many of us enjoy being productive, some of us may be feeling a creative calling right now, some of us may have picked up a new form of movement we’re in love with learning, some of us may have gotten back in touch with our inner artist. I know that I, myself, am working on approximately one million things that set my soul on fire right now (ahem—writing this article). The important differentiator is in why we are doing these things. Are we doing these things because they set our soul on fire and because we really want to, or because we feel obligated to do them to prove our worth?

What To Do About It

(1) Check in with yourself at least daily.

How are you feeling? Are you tired? What do you need today? What are you feeling called to today? Can someone support you? If so, who—and how?

(2) If you do feel called to do something, be realistic.

One of the most important elements of setting goals is context. There are likely extra demands on you right now, whether physical, emotional or mental. Maybe you’re homeschooling, maybe you’re adjusting to being unemployed, or maybe you’re learning how to work from home. Remember to restructure your goals accordingly to accommodate yourself.

(3) Rest.

I know there are a thousand entrepreneur quotes out there saying rest is for the weak but, quite frankly, that is silly and unhealthy. Studies show that people who intentionally take breaks are more productive than their counterparts. Change the way you think about rest to be an integral part of staying on top of the things that are important to you.

(4) Stay Present.

Practicing mindfulness is a great way to stay grounded and present. Starting a mindfulness or meditation practice can help us learn to better observe our thoughts and what is happening in our lives without judgement. Remember: there are lots of different ways to meditate!

(5) Set Boundaries.

Switching gears to working from home, homeschooling your kids, or looking for ways to monetize your side hustle can all mean that your work and rest time are more likely to bleed into one another. Establish some baseline boundaries. Ex: No work emails after 6 pm; Do something for yourself daily; Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Etc. Take your own individual needs into account here and set boundaries that make sense for you.

(6) Be conscious of how you talk to yourself.

Society isn’t the only thing that defines our self-worth by how productive we can be. We often hold ourselves to those same standards, too. Check in on how you talk to yourself, encourage yourself and what standards you’re holding yourself to. If you’re noticing that you’re hard on yourself, perhaps ask how you would feel if someone held your loved one to those standards, or talked to your loved one in those ways. If you wouldn’t like it for them, it might be time to stop accepting it for yourself.

This time is weird and confusing for all of us. It is perfectly normal for things to be different and for you to be handling things differently. Make sure you have some grace with yourself, and with others. Be kind to yourself and others. We may not all be experiencing it the same way but we are absolutely in this weirdness together.

Alexandra is an NYC native and a graduate of George Washington University currently based in Denver, CO. She has been honing her digital marketing skills at top agencies since 2012. Her life has taken many turns—all of which have guided her on her journey towards living a more intentional life. Her goal is to inspire personal growth by empowering women to live a more intentional life filled with purpose, passion, intuition and joy.