The case for rest and recharging in an age of productivity guilt

It’s almost impossible not to feel productivity guilt today, in an age where we glamourise the idea of being #bookedandbusy.

We’ve all experienced the subtle feeling of productivity guilt. We take a break from a task to scroll on social media, only to be bombarded with non stop highlights of people’s success.That’s when the comparison kicks in, which in turn leads to feelings of inadequacy.

Negative thoughts roll in: Am I doing enough? Shouldn’t I have more opportunities coming my way? They are so much younger than me and are doing far better. Am I a failure?

But we need to stop the thoughts at that point. The nature of social media means that there are hardly any behind-the-scenes depictions of people’s realities. For instance, very few people show their success alongside the less glamorous jobs required along the way as well as the mistakes and inevitable challenges along the way.

Whenever we act out of productivity guilt, we often fail to appreciate the importance of rest. This means we sacrifice our wellbeing for the sake of meeting such high standards of ourselves, ending up drained of energy and experience burnout from all the stress we put on ourselves.

Burnout, the numb feeling that brings motivation and inspiration to a halt is frustrating but the body’s way of claiming rest from a period of self induced unrest.

Also, sometimes our productivity guilt may be motivated by a need to have a highlight reel that is vast, compared to others. This need to inform others of our success means that we often feel the need to take on more than we can, in a bid to have a few more additions to our existing roles, to feel more important. Remember that your worth does not directly correlate with how long you can stretch your string of responsibilities and awards.

Overall, comparison is draining and often blinds us from appreciating our worth in the present, here and now. The truth is, most people that you think are the most productive also feel insecure about themselves and have struggles they face too. In an age that commercialises self care, sometimes the most radical act is taking time to properly rest and appreciate yourself in all your glory.