It’s natural to feel stressed out when the world seems to move too fast around you. The productivity bandwagon is the new culture in our society. But what we need to understand is that it is okay to feel confused and do things at your own pace. Here is a feel-good read that just might give you the clarity that you need!
The cut-offs of Delhi University are going to release soon. Along with getting into the top colleges, students are running in the race of “getting things done”.
After being in the restricted and protective environment of school life, all of us go through a completely new experience in college. But unfortunately, that experience is not always as happy as it looks on Netflix and Karan Johar’s movies. Subsequently, there is a high probability that the newbies will fall prey to the productivity bandwagon in their first year of college.
The Productivity Mayhem
When the pandemic engulfed our lives in the year 2020, it left us in uncharted waters. The pandemic tortured human life by all means, and students are no exception.
The nationwide lockdown starting in March 2020, was meant to stay home and relax. In fact, by living in isolation and distancing ourselves socially, we were supposed to take a step back and get in touch with our inner self, discover new hobbies and take a break. However, it was only a matter of time that the wretched competitive streak so finely tuned in our systems and took over the temporary peace of mind.
The productivity bandwagon entraps thousands of victims every year and the uncertainty prevailing this year only adds to it.
Imagine this: your friend just informed you about them securing an excellent intern position at a top-notch company. They have their career goals charted out and are constructively working towards realising those goals. And there you are – lying all day in bed among crumbs of crisps. The Netflix screen stares at you with the scrutiny of a disappointed father so you frantically start applying for internships and courses. You try very hard to make up for 20 years of lethargy and procrastination over the course of a single night.
This is exactly what the productivity bandwagon looks like!
You try very hard to make your CV outshine among others. You take multiple internships at the same time. Additionally, you try out for numerous leadership positions along with joining societies that you are not even interested in for the letter of participation. It looks like trying to get that glowing recommendation letter from every internship and working yourself to the bone in the course of trying to achieve it.
It looks like investing your time and energy into activities that your mind and body do not want to do, but you are still doing it because others are doing much more with their 24 hours.
Almost every DUite has been prey to the productivity bandwagon. And, it’s a disease. It’s addictive. You can’t stop because others won’t stop and others won’t because you won’t. It’s an endless, competitive rat race that pits people against each other from the very first year. Consequently, it makes you susceptible to burnout and unhappiness, when really, most of what you do in the first year doesn’t even matter. It’s a vicious cycle that feeds off of its toxicity.
Take a break and think!
The world of today asks for multitasking. Remember the last time you were searching for the latest movie on your laptop while talking to your friend and scrolling through Instagram. Did it ring a bell?
As the world is advancing rapidly, it expects you to deliver the maximum output with quality. As a result, you spend a lot of time entrenched in the busyness of life, worrying about getting everything done and feeling out of control.
The impacts of this frenzy of productivity are dire.
When you get into 5 internships simultaneously, become the General Secretary of the dramatics society and enrol yourself in the LinkedIn courses, burnout may be the worst consequence. On the other hand, the students who fail to meet the “standards” set by everyone else, might result in internalised self-hatred, desolation and despair.
Many freshers have feelings of worthlessness stuck in the productivity bandwagon of the first year when all they wanted to do in college was to kick back and take it easy.
Is it really worth it?
- Why are you applying to this internship/society?
- Is it relevant to your academic course?
- Will this position brush up your skill-set?
- Are you enrolling yourself, because everyone else is doing so?
- Does this position really interest you?
Once you assess the opportunity or your existing position on this basis, you will have a much better idea of whether you are picking/have picked the right place for yourself. Always remember that opportunities come in plenty, and you don’t have to do something that you find mind-numbing.
Most importantly, hard as it is to believe, you are not going to be put on trial for feeling confused. You do not need to drown in this productivity bandwagon. It is perfectly natural to do things at your own pace. Beating yourself up about a missed or wasted opportunity does not help or change things.
The universe is not conspiring against you, or it probably is. Whichever the case may be, you will find out in good time! The best you can do is being kind to yourself, and maybe spend a little less time mindlessly scrolling on Instagram?
