The Pressure to be Productive during a Pandemic
By nature of the past week, I have been guiltier than usual of scrolling in excess. I have downloaded Tiktok (for shame), started keeping up with friends via Marco Polo (less shameful, check it out), and of course am trying to keep up with the onslaught of COVID19 updates on Facebook, Instagram among other news sources.
I have conference called, I have video chatted, I have Zoom-ed into online classes, I have panicked, I have slept. I have been productive and wasted hours. I have overanalyzed and debated information, and I have mourned for those losing family and friends. I have cried tears for those who have been informed of cancelled weddings, told they won’t walk in their graduations, unable to experience some of life’s most celebratory moments. I’ve eaten literally every snack in this house. I have made schedules and stuck to them for a couple of hours and have gotten sidetracked by staring at a tiny blade of grass growing between the brick stairs at my parents’ house and wondering what the world is coming to.
Life has not stopped because of COVID19. It has changed significantly and it feels like our days are moving in fast forward and slow motion at the same time, but time is marching on. Leaders and everyday people alike have had to step up and make swift decisions that affect groups, affect communities. People are working from home and parents are stepping into shoes they never expected to fill. We’re living life in this purgatory of time where everyone around the world is asking themselves, what’s next?
The answer is: nobody knows what’s next. But we also have to accept that didn’t know what was coming next before a global pandemic hit, either.
Take this time and use it wisely, but don’t fall prisoner to the concept of maximizing every moment. I believe that things aren’t wasted - I don’t mean that insensitively to those who are walking through this virus or know those who have been affected, but this time is precious. Don’t mishear what I am saying: I wish that today was like any other day. But I want to be able to look back on this time and know that it wasn’t a waste. That being said, I think making the best use of your time during this season could simply mean you look back and you can confidently say you took care of yourself and did your best to care for others.
It is easy to get sucked into trying to “maximize” your time right now. I have seen an onslaught of organization tips, home workouts, life hacks to make the most of your quarantine. But what if this quarantine is a time that is intended for the opposite? What if this is a chance for not a local, not a national, but an international reset on our daily priorities and how we think about using our time?
Bottom line: don’t get sucked into the rat race of productivity during a global pandemic. Take care of yourself. If that looks like Marie Kondo-ing your closet and doing 30 minute abs on YouTube every day, that’s awesome. If that looks like calling a friend and taking long naps while you can, that’s great. But above all else, take care of yourself whatever that may look like, and don’t put added pressure on yourself during a time that is already so tense and stressful. We need each other now more than ever, and that means being supportive of however people need to deal with what’s happening in our world. Wash your hands, call your parents, and do what you need to do without competing with or judging the way others are taking care of themselves.