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stephaniefitz · 5 years ago

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Pandemics and The Price of Productivity

Hi everyone!!

Isn’t that the best way to begin a blog? Introduce yourself, so you seem as friendly in and out of the virtual realm?

I’m kidding; I am friendly always and welcome you to my very first blog post!

So, Hi! Hello! I’m virtually greeting you! I’m waving the way you’ve been greeting your family and friends for the past several weeks. Did you think I was going to write something during this time without mentioning the quarantine? It is everywhere you look! On Instagram, your Facebook walls, and Twitter. The quarantine is on dirty dishes and unopened Amazon Prime boxes that have been sitting in your house for over a week. The past three weeks have been hard on everyone. You are not seeing your friends, engaging in five-minute hangouts six feet apart, and, most importantly, being an essential worker during a worldwide pandemic. But, if you aren’t an “essential” worker, you’re at home make shifting a work from home (WFH) space next to your roommate or significant other crammed next to a litter box.

The joys, right? How lucky are we to be able to WFH in our pajamas and binge watch “Tiger King” during our lunch break? How lucky are the entrepreneurs and media folk trying to crank out content now that we have all the time in the world to get our newest blog and web series started? Before we became quarantined, we had access to everything distracting.

We were preoccupied with happy hours with our friend groups at the local brewery, Sunday brunch on the belt-line, and my favorite, people watching at my favorite coffee shop trying to break a bout of writer’s block. Now that we are in the middle of a mandatory shelter in place, all of our usual activities stopped—no more outings, no more family visits, no more in-person happy hour. At the drop of a hat, our lives changed, and now we have all the time in the world! Now we can start the podcast, start the blog, start something in general! Now is the time! Shelter in place is the time to be productive, right? Since the quarantine began, we immersed ourselves in the digital world of memes and Tik-Tok challenges. People aspiring for the blue checkmark can now create the content they have been putting off due to our supposed distractions and social obligations.

While I am in full support of a creative endeavor and goal setting, I saw a post on my Instagram feed that was rather unsettling. The message read: “If you don’t come out of this quarantine with a new skill, your side hustle started, more knowledge. You never lacked time; you lacked discipline.” This post made me beg the question of why our culture so obsessed with being productive.

If you’ve made it this far in my post, then you’re probably rolling your eyes—another millennial “triggered” over a meme they scrolled past while not understanding the bigger picture. While I am notorious for being overly sensitive in my social circle, this person is presumptuous in their attempt to encourage productivity by assuming another person’s shortcomings. Yes, I am that aspiring content creator I was speaking about above who is trying to produce content to the masses in the name of WFH distractions. I need to get my podcast recorded. I need to post more to my blog. I also need to be more productive and organized. While this person’s post is in good faith and motivation, it conveys judgment and shame. Our society is so obsessed with “hustle culture” that even during times of crisis, we still expect ourselves to produce.

I see it everywhere. Influencers are giving out quarantine makeup advice and graphic designers creating t-shirts making references to “social distancing” and washing our hands ( Yes, I bought one. Guilty as charged). Podcasters are also dishing out unsolicited advice on dating while we self isolate. We capitalize on everything. Hell, at this point, I’m surprised people aren’t trying to make personalized COVID kits complete with your monogram (“BOGO on my newest Etsy account, this Friday only”). I understand, and this person is entirely valid in their opinion of using your free time to produce what you have wanted to create. Being stuck in traffic on Monday through Friday sucks up most of our time outside of work, and now that we are void of that responsibility, it is time to take action on our heart's desire.

In a matter of seconds, many people lost income they relied on to keep a roof over their heads and food in their fridge. Some people are now working and living full time with their significant other, which I’m sure has caused a little bit of strain on some relationships. Parents are now trying to teach their kids from home while simultaneously re-adjusting their living space to make it more work AND school-friendly. Some of these parents are doing this alone. A vast majority have already worked from home, but fear of catching a possibly life-threatening virus that has yet to see a vaccine causes a lot of anxiety. When trying to make everything as “normal” as possible in times of crisis and sudden upheaval, is the side hustle and the exploitation of your hobbies that important? If we aren’t learning the language we’ve been putting off for months during this time, are we undisciplined? If we don’t pick up our art supplies and become the newest art sensation on the front of the Instagram explore page, are we wasting our lives in the pursuit of being lazy? Or are we more disciplined in the pursuit of trying to do our best given that most of our typical day to day turns upside down?

I am lucky, however, to still have an income and no kids to aid in my distraction of “exploiting” my time for productivity purposes. But, I am still facing a ton of challenges. I am a flight attendant who typically has three to four days off during the week, which to most (and myself), is a pretty flexible schedule. I also am trying to break into the world of multimedia and have several other hobbies. So you could very well argue that I am the queen of the side hustle and understand the importance of using time wisely. You could also say that I am hypocritical as I launch my very first blog post as the constituent in the grand scheme of becoming an influential content creator. I use my time “productively” to question the toxic relationship we have with hustle culture. While I am here to get my content off the ground, I am mostly here to empathize.

Thriving from structure and routine when I am not jet setting around the globe, I have also been thrown through a loop. Before COVID took hold of our daily lives, I began establishing a routine that would allow me to be my most productive self. I would wake up early, grab breakfast, and head to whichever coffee shop struck my fancy—ideas and laptop in tow. Unable to follow the routine I spent weeks establishing, along with the looming torment of a pandemic, having to start all over, became another source of anxiety. I am struggling with this sudden change just as much as anyone, and comparing a person’s shortcomings based on society's standard of an acceptable work ethic, is the very attitude that fosters shame in so many when they face life appropriate distractions.

All of a sudden, the home Keurig became our source of morning coffee and the kitchen island, our brand new work cafe. Overnight, our spouses and children needing our attention became our co-workers. My main point is that everyone’s life got turned upside down in an instant, and we now face other immediate distractions that garner our attention rather than the “hustle” or “grind." People who were laid off are now asking themselves how they are going to pay rent. Teens bummed out because they are missing graduation and prom. Now spouses everywhere are wondering why their partner wants to begin the conversation regarding kitchen repairs as soon as they start a conference call.

If you are working on a side hustle, have been trying to learn a new language, or engage in a new hobby you’ve been putting off for months; don’t feel bad if it hasn’t transpired by the time the world is up and running again. Our “new normal” has fostered a brand new host of problems we need to manage, along with adjusting and maintaining our regular responsibilities. When an unexpected crisis happens, it isn’t a time where we have absolutely nothing to do. Right now is a time when we have more to think about and adjust on top of our already busy lives. Messages that are aimed to spark inspiration are often worded as messages that cause shame. Speaking as if those who have yet to start something they’ve wanted to accomplish aren’t disciplined are viewing life through a narrow lens where everything exists in a world of black and white, where everyone is living in a world void of imperfection and equal opportunity. Our mindset that if you haven’t accomplished or started anything AMAZING, GREAT, or PROFOUND during a period of necessary rest lies at the heart of our obsession with hustle culture.

Our value shouldn’t be held on the pedestal of production. Our value as people should be based on whatever it is that helps us feel safe, rejuvenated, and like we live a fulfilling life. If being productive makes you feel good about yourself, that’s great! However, we are all individuals with different expectations and visions for how we wish to live and spend our time. We are all in such a rush to be the “next best thing” that we sometimes forget to prioritize our values and take care of our needs.

My notion isn’t to be proud or self-righteous, because I also have issues succumbing to the pressure of hustle culture. More often than not, I feel guilty for resting or taking the day to read a novel for my enjoyment when I feel overwhelmed or stressed. During my time in self-isolation, I slowly realize that I am allowed to feel just as anxious and unfocused like everyone else regardless of my goals. I know that with a change in routine also comes a period of readjustment and realigning of priorities. If we treated people as individuals and understood that at our core, we are all human, not machines meant to run on empty for the sake of production; maybe we could allow more room for understanding and empathy- even for ourselves. While the quarantine is a good time to start that fantastic business venture you have been putting off, or read the book you have put down several times because you are always on the go; you are not undisciplined if life got in the way like it always does. Sometimes, learning to be present, knowing your limits, and not holding on to others' expectations is the only discipline we need.

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