Last night, as I was scrolling through my friends' Instagram stories, I came across a quote which summed up all my feelings of anger, guilt, frustration and disappointment which have accumulated in the last couple of days. The Instagram story was a bright 70s inspired visual with the words "Do Not Guilt Me Into Being Productive During A F*****g Pandemic."
As I was reading this simple quote, I had a realization that all along I was creating a false reality of using my time efficiently– a reality constructed by myself and many online sources. No day goes by without seeing at least one article or post which is telling me to use my "free time" to work out, eat healthily, explore a new hobby, read a book and, of course, study. And this was my plan initially to come back from this pandemic with a summer-ready body, glowy skin and prepared to ace every exam in medical school.
However, the reality is that this is a pandemic after all and not a vacation. We cannot ignore all the other factors that influence the way we use our time. Instead of working out, I spend my days worrying about my academic future. I stress-eat chips because I am thinking about all the people who are dying, and I am wondering if my aunt, who has severe asthma and kidney disease, will be the next person. While I should be studying, I read up on the latest COVID-19 research in hopes that they are closer to finding a successful treatment. And finally, I have tried to read a book so many times, but all I want is to be close to my loved ones just to hug them. And at the end of the day, I am just upset and guilty for not having been productive like last nights facebook post told me to.
Don't get me wrong! I do firmly believe that these encouraging articles have a positive effect on so many people who would be otherwise lost. And I am amazed by all the creative ways people use to spend their time together, efficiently. Nonetheless, for someone dealing with a mental illness or currently experiencing anxiety, these productivity posts leave a bitter taste and a trace of guilt behind. It is the guilt of not being able to accomplish all these things that other people are achieving now and the goals we have set for ourselves.
So what should all the productivity-guilt-ridden people do? I know that we still have responsibilities, such as our new online courses. However, I found some articles which gave me some excellent advice on how to meet our personal goals even during extenuating circumstances like these and feel less guilty if we should not meet our expectations. I hope you will find them useful, too!
“Please don’t be guilted into being more productive during the coronavirus” by Monica Torres
“How to deal with productivity-related anxiety”
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/23/how-to-deal-with-productivity-related-anxiety-during-covid-19.html
Author: Anonymous
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