IS THIS The Bad Place?
When we look back on the revelry for the new decade last December 31, 2019, it seems as if it’s an outright screenshot of a post on Images That Precede Unfortunate Events.
We are living in an unprecedented time—a crisis—one that will definitely be remembered in the history books. Our lives have been permanently disrupted, because this pandemic has revealed the faults of what was once “normal,” and how we cannot go back. Work mindsets like the “daily grind” have been rendered irrelevant by a global economy coming to a grinding halt. If you’re someone who has gotten used to measuring self-worth with work, it’s easy to hate yourself. The pressure is all the heavier on a generation whose main tools are a smart device and an Internet connection. Scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can easily push you into a vicious cycle of self-doubt, guilt, and shame. It’s as if you have to get something done or you will have just wasted so much time.
Us students spend much of the day locked in our rooms thinking of what to do next or wondering if we should do anything at all. This situation comes from a very privileged position, and is in no way as dire and unjust as those who live in the margins of society. However, we cannot forget the mental toll that self-isolation can have on people. When you’re alone stuck with your thoughts, it can get ugly.
Young people who don’t have a job outside of extra-curriculars now have an abundance of “free time.” This, however, presents a dilemma: Do we “maximize” time by checking off the many projects that we’ve put on hold or do we use this lull to focus on rest and recovery? I think the answer relies on a two-fold mindset.
First, the choice must, in the most Atenean way possible, be both. In a time with so much uncertainty, it would be unfair to force ourselves to focus on one or the other. Inspiration will come in waves. Some days you feel like you’re on top of everything—then there are days when you can’t even get yourself to think straight. We need to accept that.
Second, for this to work, you need to be comfortable with doing nothing—a concept that has become foreign to a world that was locked in hyperspace. We must learn how to stop and idly pass the time. Feel what is present. Let your thoughts linger. Sometimes, accepting the state of limbo can help the mind naturally move on to what you can do next at your current capacity—be it an online course or a new Netflix binge.
Today’s reality can easily feel like The Darkest Timeline. With no clear end in sight, thinking too far ahead just feels like lying to yourself. Productivity is a great goal to have and can help us maintain some sense of normalcy, but there are also times when stress, anxiety, and isolation get the better of you.
Now is not the time to pressure ourselves into achieving something new. It’s okay to not be productive. Allow yourself to breathe—especially when merely being able to work is a privilege. Our primary goal should be to make it out of this pandemic alive, not burnt out. We spend most of our days living in our heads—we owe it to ourselves to make it a nice place to be in.
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