It's okay to do nothing

Written by Akkarasorn Opilan (Ang-Ang) | Edited by Pimnara Boondoungprasert (Fin) | Designed by Nada Rodanant (Neat)

During this time when we are all under self-isolation with a lot more free time than we're used to, pressure arises, expecting people to make the most out of the time available to them: health gurus and fitness instructors are motivating you to do that 3 weeks abs challenge; Emma is starting an online business while Ploy initiated 3 new projects to help those heavily impacted by Covid-19; Jack is mastering Mandarin and, to everyone's surprise, the once overweight Ben is actually doing that 3 weeks abs challenge! We're all extremely free! And we don't have the responsibility we used to so we have nothing to worry about. Am I right?

Well, apart from the fact that 1: we’re living through a global pandemic which is going to become an essay topic in the Year 9 history final exam in 2050 -- and 2: mixed in with air molecules are these little viruses that look like a ball with tiny arms but can kill you. And it's already done so to roughly a small number of 283,00 people around the world (yes, that is a huge number; just being sarcastic here, please don't come at me). Apart from these things, there's really not that much to worry about :)

My point is, this situation is not normal. I know, I'm stating the obvious. But sometimes you need to hear the obvious to realise the obvious. And that is, that you do NOT have to act or feel normal during a time that is NOT normal. It's okay to feel demotivated. It's okay not to be as productive as you used to be.

Before we go any further, I'd like to point out what it truly means to be "productive." I think productivity has lost its meaning. I respect that the definition can and will probably be different for everyone, but here's my definition:

productivity = useful output / total input

Here's the key: "useful." You define what is useful to you. Useful tasks can obviously be things like studying for your APs, exercising, reading, practising your musical instrument, or building other good habits. But in all honesty, watching that k-drama, listening to music, talking to your friends on the phone, and eating popcorn in bed while watching another k-drama is useful too. To me, whether something is useful or not depends on whether or not I need or want it. It is all about balance. You have to do things that make you happy too. You must allow yourself to do them guilt-free. Relaxing is productive too! It's all about doing what YOU need to do to get to where you want to be. And here's something that will blow your mind: you are not a f*cking robot!

Look, if all you've done today is get up, brush your teeth and wash your face, then good job! If you've only done 1 out of the 10 things on your to-do list, good job! Well done to you for doing that one thing. Even if all you've done today is try to keep yourself sane, eat, binge movies, and sleep, that's fine! Well done for trying your hardest to cope during this time.

The real reason why we want to be productive is because we want to see growth, right? We want to see our grades improve, our abs appearing, and simply feel like a better person than who we were. But let me be the person to remind you that growth comes in different forms. Whether that's referring to your skills, your knowledge, your physical abilities, or your mentality. If you use this time to grow mentally, battle through your inner feelings and the uncertainty that surrounds you, that is growth. And maybe that is the hardest type of growth. Even if you feel like you didn't get any further, at least you weren't pulled back any further.

You are exactly where you need to be. Don't be too harsh with yourself. Do what you need to do; what your body and mind needs. We all handle different situations differently. This time period will literally be recorded in history textbooks. Would you criticize a 16-year-old boy who had to move away from home due to what happened at Chernobyl for not doing his 30 push-ups today? So remember, it's great to be productive but it's also okay to do nothing.