As many of us have acquainted with life at home, you may have found yourself with more free time than you know what to do with. So you’ve dusted the same lamp one too many times this week, let’s dust it again! Despite this, lately, it feels like there’s this unspoken pressure to be productive. Since the pandemic took away our routines and our normality, we now stare blankly at the list of things we never thought we would get the time to change about ourselves.  

Shouldn’t this be an exciting thing? While the thought of checking a few boxes off a long-forgotten New Year’s resolution list does sound appealing, where do you even find the motivation to start? 

Believe it or not, we’re all grieving our losses right now. We’ve lost our jobs, our social lives, even our ability to step outside mask-free. Cut yourself some slack here, this is a collective traumatic experience. And with that, the solution to this productivity anxiety isn’t putting yourself through the next thing on your list, it’s the simplicity of realizing measured productivity is complete nonsense.  

Truthfully, the measurement of our success is nothing but a security blanket for our own purpose. Why do we, time and time again, undervalue ourselves and our ability to create because of time restraints? Time is a man-made standardization and a social construct. If all this “free time” is giving you more control over your life, why do you still let time control you? What lies beneath our tendency to measure success is also the toxic comparison we have against one another. When it all comes down to it, if you don’t walk out of quarantine with a new skill or a toned body or more knowledge, you never lacked time, you simply lacked discipline. You are doing okay. 

Understandably, while we may not be able to stop involving ourselves with the idea of time, we can change the flawed mindset we have towards our productivity. You’re making the most of your time by being alive. There is no “right” way to overcome a crisis, but the best part is you have the ability to do it your own way. Remember to stay safe, healthy, and hopefully positive.