Hello friends,

I hope you are doing great. Fatima here.

I thought today, being Monday, would be the perfect day to talk to you about the pressures of being busy for the sake of looking busy.

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We live in a time where the idea of hustling and always being on the move is celebrated and promoted. It’s all multiple streams of income, multiple bags, multiple side hustles. Couple that with social media where you pretty much only see the highlights of people’s lives. It’s the perfect recipe for toxic productivity and high-functioning anxiety.

In addition to the social media pressure, there’s also the pressure from cultures like mine where if you’re not seen actively doing, then you’re labeled a lazy person.
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The thing is, I’m not much of a fan of this lifestyle.

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One - It’s a losing game. It is literally impossible to always be productive (ah ah rest nah?). Not all of us are, can or will make money in our sleep. Your mental wellbeing could take a turn for the worse trying to catch up to this unrealistic standard.
Rather, listen to your mind and body, take breaks.

Two - Time spent forcing productivity could be better spent elsewhere. It’s been four hours and you’ve barely gotten anything done, an extra hour of staring at your screen wont change anything. Go take a walk to rejuvenate yourself or spend some much needed time with loved ones.

Three - We’re not all the same.

(”Some of us are Neurodivergent and no amount of Pomodoro’s will fix that” - Says Nimz, a chronic night-owl)

You may have a different work style than people around you. Maybe you like to work at night rather than in the day. Or you prefer to work non-stop for three days and take the next two days off to rest. Not all productivity forms will fit the Instagram or societal aesthetic and thats okay.

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As a gold medal winning + long distance runner, Med Keflezighi would know a thing or two about going at your own pace. He once said:

Rather than worrying about your productive output, remind yourself that your journey and pace is different from everyone else’s and as long as you keep your goals in mind, you will get there in a healthy way and at the best time for you.
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I hope this helps you toward peace of mind. Until next time.Bye bye!! 👋🏾👋🏾
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P.S If you often find yourself “busy but not really” or you’re forever worrying about what else you “should” do, you’ll very likely wear yourself thin and burnout.​
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