Pandemic and Productivity
Lets address the issue of the hour and the trend that has been floating around- the compulsive need to stay productive all the time
“I’m tired and 2020 is just getting worse by the day” — We’ve heard quite a few people say this right? What do people mean when they say they’re tired? Exhausted? Over-worked? Isolated? Frustrated? ALL OF THE ABOVE? And all this while we’re just starting to learn to live in this new normal.
Its debatable how people are influenced by one another. Social contagion is the concept of spreading ideas and behaviour between crowds and social circles. It can be the energy that people bring around you — like sadness, happiness, loneliness or habits- like drinking and smoking or something as simple and contagious as yawning. It is a theory that you should surround yourself with people you want to be. Like if you want to be a CEO, surround yourself with such powerful and knowledgable people.
That somehow explains how people on social media are influenced by one another. Social media platforms have connected humans much closely and empowered each one of us. Especially while we’re between a pandemic, it has been a source of getting a sneak peak of what’s happening around us and the people we follow.
Personally, I’m seeing a lot of people making the most of this lockdown. They have been learning new skills, new languages, building new products, starting over business, rebuilding, reinventing and what not! People have put in all the hard work and dedication, invested hours exploring their interests and shared it for their friends and family to see online.
But, let’s not be delusional here because there is also another part of this story. People have also lost jobs and their sense of motivation with it. There are individuals out there, who are having disrupted sleep and a distorted schedule. People are struggling adjusting to the new normal which in turn is increasing mental and stress levels of millions, in fact billions of people all around the globe.
Well, to point out, all this is happening while we are just starting to learn how to live in between a pandemic. Let me ask you all, how can just staying productive or keeping busy, be the ultimate panacea to keep sane?
Your mental health will define your productivity
Your mental health is going to reflect on your productivity. Which is why we all need to stop being so hard on ourselves. We need to break the loop, take time to breathe and push away the negativity from our lives. We need to take a conscious effort to build a positive environment for us, and the people around us.
But of course it’s easier said than done! So how do we do this? I’m not a doctor if you’re looking for professional help, but I will be sharing my experiences which helped me and hopefully can help you.
