i encourage you to examine that feeling, where you heard that message, and if you apply that standard to others. when my mental illness got to a point where i was less productive at work, it forced me to unpack my internalized ableism and belief that productivity = worth. i still struggle in my relationship with rest and work, but quitting my job at the time was the single best decision i have ever made for my mental health. i would have given anything to quit while having the financial support you have. it will probably be hard to not have a schedule and to learn how to rest again and to process the feeling of being a burden in a relationship… but it’ll give your body a chance to heal and your mind to reset and your heart to receive support from others. it’s difficult to extract ourselves from hustle culture. recommended reading: Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
Jun 26, 2024

Comments (0)

Make an account to reply.
No comments yet

Related Recs

💭
A couple of months ago I fell into the rabbit hole of productivity. I was listening to motivating podcasts and was actually getting more productive up to a certain point where I started getting burnt out and was experiencing a horrible surge of IBD symptoms. Every time I gave myself some form of rest I'd feel guilty and be invaded by the voices of boss ladies telling me to get out of bed and do something. Though I'd end up getting up everytime, I was forcing myself to do work I didn't want to do and a result, I became a more irritated and tired person. Unbeknownst to me, I was becoming bed-ridden due to my autoimmune disease and was forcing myself to work through it. Outcome: My body crashed on me as soon as I finished the term and I didn't get the result I wanted (I got a good GPA overall, but my CGPA is still at a C+ with no chance of raising it again) This term started and I only have 1 subject and my thesis left and I decided to give my body the chance to rest and detach myself from outcomes since nothing I can do will raise my CGPA to a B. Outcome: I ended up highly fatigued and can barely get up and do anything. Don't get me wrong, I am doing well in that class I'm in and I got a good chunk of my thesis done, but nonetheless I was exhausted. I was bedrotting for weeks under the guise of letting go of control and letting the world take me where it wants me to take. At the end I became empty with no energy to do things I actually want to do. This got me wondering: To what extent should we be productive and when do we give ourselves rest? How do we become productive without burning our bodies out? How do we give ourselves rest without slipping into bed-rotting? How do we get up and become productive after weeks of slump without forcing our bodies to do things it doesn't want? How do we convince a productivity junkie that they need rest and actually enjoy the rest? How does one get out of this cycle?
Mar 7, 2025
😃
Try not to completely give into depression and let everything in your life go. If you have an LSAT coming up and need a job, maybe you just need to prioritize one to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Having a singular focus is really helpful because it’s less overwhelming and confusing. And making some sacrifices is better than burning out and failing everything. Can the job possibly wait? If not, I would say its really helpful to create a schedule for yourself. You’ll see that you can get a lot done in a day and still have tons of scheduled time to relax and rot in bed. But remember that rotting in bed feels soo much better when you know you spent some time making your life better. Doing nothing will make your day feel empty and meaningless. And it gets harder to get out of because you get used to it. Even spending an hour on a goal is an accomplishment. Even if you spent 10 hours on your phone, and one hour on a goal, in a year you would have way more going for you than if you spent all day on your phone. Most people are awake for 16 hours, so you could spend 8 hours being productive and still have around 8 hours to relax in bed. Schedule your day so you get a lot of relaxing breaks, so work doesn’t feel so painful. Stick to a predictable schedule. Make sacrifices in any areas that aren’t a priority. Like definitely say no to plans you don’t have time/energy for. And don’t see days that don’t work out as a failure. Like I said, even if you spent 10 hours in bed, just get 1 hour in and count that day as a success. Then you can at least say to yourself that the day couldve been worse. Don’t wait for yourself to have more energy, just use the small amount of energy you have because it kind of regenerates itself and the more productive you feel the more energized you’ll feel. I also recommend taking as many not destructive substances as necessary to get yourself going like even something like drinking more coffee than usual can give you that initial boost. And antidepressants can really help if you think you might be depressed and aren’t on them already
Aug 22, 2024
🔄
I’ve had periods where I’ve really struggled with this too. Before I give my rec, I want to emphasize that I think we all experience cycles in our behavior where we “make progress” (whatever that means for you!) and then we don’t - and that’s really okay. I would start by figuring out if your body is physically okay. Lethargy/fatigue is a biological response to a lot of different things and it may be the result of unexpected health stuff! So don’t discount a doctor’s visit. But mental health/stress really contributes to this for me, and it is often the biggest thing that breaks my healthy routines. This is where the loop comes in: healthy routines combat stress, but stress breaks up healthy routines. So that first day you start the healthy routine cycle is really important! For me healthy routines start with good sleep hygiene. If you’ve been rotting in bed a lot and your sleep cycle is screwed, re-establishing that may be difficult. I would recommend supplementing your body with physical movement - preferably something rigorous (for your level) but also gives you joy!! No boring gym time - do whatever gives you endorphins. Consistent activity is really key for your body to not fall into a doom loop. And lastly, do the things you need to do to combat your stress. Set yourself up so that you feel you are taking meaningful steps towards progress. Start with the small stuff and don’t discount them!!! Often the small tasks are the ones that break us because they seem innumerable (for me it’s always been folding laundry). But just remember, every small thing you do is progress and that will build your momentum. I believe in ya! You have the power to change this, slowly but surely.
May 13, 2024

Top Recs from @capyboppy

🐝
remember to thank your local bees, they are working so hard this season. nature’s essential workers
Apr 19, 2024
recommendation image
✂️
all handmade with scissors and glue!
Sep 11, 2024