Now that everyone’s routines have been thrown up in the air, I’ve heard a lot of talk about how we’re all supposed to use this time productively. YouTubers are sharing their tips about working from home, news broadcasts constantly highlight the importance of keeping your regular routines, various home workout plans litter Instagram. When people ask me what I’ve been doing during quarantine, I feel tempted to lie and say I’ve picked up a new language or learned ten new recipes. After all, this time is being marketed as an opportunity to learn new skills and finish things that we always wanted to do but never had the time for. And all I want to say is JUST STOP.

As a society, we have long been obsessed with the idea of productivity, making every second of our day as efficient and successful as possible. In fact, most people equate having a successful day with a productive day.

With “hustle” culture and burnout culture, we’re constantly reminded that overworking ourselves is the only way to attain a successful life. I find myself idolizing other artists and freelancers who flaunt their packed work schedule and make working all day the new norm. In fact, I often feel bad whenever I choose to do something other than work because I feel like I’m not using my time productively.

A broken sleep-schedule, a caffeine addiction, and constantly feeling like you’re at the precipice of a mental breakdown is the new norm in this environment – but this is wildly unhealthy. We seem to have forgotten that there’s an inherent productivity in taking care of yourself.

Now, faced with a international emergency that has proved to be mentally taxing, we still haven’t let go of our dreams of ultimate “productivity”. People think the key to getting through this pandemic is to carry on chasing after a workaholic ideal that’s straight-up unrealistic.

If you’re one of these people, now is the time to give up your obsession with productivity.

I’ll give you a few reasons why:

You’re using most of your subconscious energy to stay calm

I touch on this more in my YouTube video, but this crisis is taking a toll on our subconscious reserves of energy. Think about all the work it takes to process the information and news you’re receiving, make (highly critical) decisions about how you’re going to structure your day or whether you need to leave the house to get supplies. Add the lingering worry about the health of your loved ones, your backup plan if anyone gets infected, and the stress so many of us are experiencing with our financial security. Now do you feel so bad for feeling too run-down to focus on work? I didn’t think so.

Go easy on yourself. It takes a lot of effort to live in the midst of a global pandemic. If some of your work has to fall by the wayside so you can focus on your mental and physical health, so be it. Making sure you feel safe is much more important right now.

We’re going through a collective trauma

Believe it or not, this is a highly traumatic event and we will all emerge from this with scars to show. Not that this is an entirely bad thing – we will have learned new skills as a global community – but we will need to take the time to heal ourselves.

If you haven’t experienced trauma before, know that healing will take time, patience, and a lot of self-compassion. If you have experienced trauma before, be prepared for this healing process to dredge up old traumas.

This sounds like a daunting process, but I believe there will be a lot of light in the fact that we will have to heal together – like one communal, cathartic metamorphosis. But we will all have a lot of healing to do as individuals, and now is a time to start prioritizing this restorative process.

Instead of stressing over work or daily tasks, make some time to read a self-help book you’ve been eyeing. Do yoga or another form of gentle exercise that gets you in touch with your body. If you’re industrious enough, maybe try out a guided mediation or other mindful ritual. The first step to healing is getting in touch with yourself and feeling the fullness of your emotions.

A successful day is a self-care day – not a “productive” day

Rewire yourself to think that a good day is a day in which you feel rejuvenated and content at the end. Not a day where you’ve worked tirelessly every hour and fall asleep feel run-down and worn out.

Self-care is productive. You need to take care of yourself in order to be able to work efficiently. Trust me, the rest of your day will be much more productive if you take that twenty-minute break now to recharge rather than trying to power through. Don’t drag yourself through the day.

Think about your ultimate “productive” day. If you finished everything you set out to do, would you really end the day feeling content? Or would you just feel exhausted? Now re-imagine that day with time set aside for healing and pampering – does that seem better? Imagine a day where you prioritized getting eight hours of sleep or you drank coffee for pleasure instead of for the energy – crazy, I know! But you don’t have to sacrifice being a good worker in order to take care of yourself – these two things go hand in hand.

On days where I’ve prioritized self-care, I’ve actually been shocked at how much I get done. When I take the time to ground myself and attend to my mental and physiological needs, the rest comes naturally. I’m more eager to find new inspiration for old projects and tackle things around the house that I’ve been neglecting.

If you don’t trust that this will be the case for you, just try prioritizing self-care one day of the week when you don’t have much else on your plate. If you only end up taking a bath, doing a face mask, and washing your hair – that’s still great! That is productivity in and of itself, and it will help you approach the next day with a refreshed outlook.

So, that’s it. That’s what I have to say about “productivity” during quarantine. If you want to hear what I've been doing to stay "productive" and how I feel about the subject, check out my YouTube video below. I hope you all are hanging in there – let me know down below if you feel like you’ve put too much pressure on yourself to feel productive, or if you feel like productivity is still your first priority! I’d love to hear what you think.