In my current phase in life, the only time I would permit myself not to do anything is when I call in sick. Calling in sick feels like such a luxury and privilege that when I exercise it, I feel the moral weight to use it fully to recover, which means I am not suppose to do anything. I can't lie though that I do sneak in some writings; I tell myself they are therapeautic :)
I’m obsessed with productivity, to an unhealthy degree. I can get a lot of shit done. But I make sure to start my day by filling my well with something inspiring, like reading poetry (preferably in Spanish or Italian) with my coffee. I wake myself up gently. I never start with “productivity” first thing in the morning. Then, I kick into full gear. And I mean full gear. But I take my yoga and meditation breaks, or walks with friends in the afternoon or evenings. So maybe this is how I keep sane. But, my right knee is now inflamed and I think this is my body telling me that I’m pushing too hard. So, I listen. I have cancelled my yoga class (which I was supposed to teach) and putting my feet up in bed, in my pjs, reading you! :)
I love that you listen to your body. And from what I'm reading, you're not a slave to productivity culture, rather pushing but knowing when to pause if you need to :)
I can relate to all of this! Recovering from perfectionism and pursuing a way of life that keeps me from burnout is why I write my publication and have my podcast. Getting my ideas down and sharing them with others is a reminder to myself that the way I’m hard-wired to push through without resting does not work out well for me.
Oh my god.. this could have been written about me! I also clean to avoid/process emotions! 🤦🏽♀️🙄 I too have to be productive ALL the time, or I feel like a failure, or I'm "lazy".. I can never just be content being "a blob" (love that) on the sofa - such a screw up, honestly! Me, not you 🤣
I have an overflowing to-do list that correlates with my tendency to cram 20# of stuff into a 5# sack. While I am ok with pushing tasks to the following day (or even week), I'm sure that the "un-done list" is in the back of my mind and interfering with my productivity and happiness. I've been trying to focus to knock off many of the items that I keep putting off and pare down the list a bit so I can breath easier. But it is easier said than done.
Yeah I totally get the to-do list sitting in the back of your mind. Not sure what the solution is, but I've been trying to take a lot of things of my to-list personally.
As an expat, you can either feel left behind productivity-wise, causing you to feel like you need to catch up. Or you can feel disconnected to that hustle and bustle, therefore, bypassing that need or pressure. I oscillate between the two, but lately, I'm all about the latter. Giving yourself permission to listen to music, get lost in a good book, and hey, if you want to deep clean your house, that's good too. xo
Because you aren’t living in your home country, there can be a certain disconnect from your culture. I’m not inundated with America everywhere I look, quite the contrary. A lot of folks who choose to leave their passport country are looking to escape the rat race, at least, it was for me, so I feel like I’m not part of the productivity = progress world or mindset.
Ahh totally get it! I have to say, being in the US, I feel like I never have enough time, whereas when I was living in China, I felt like I had enough or sometimes too much. Not sure if it's because I have different responsibilities or like you said, I don't have the disconnect from the culture anymore. But it's definitely something to explore.
Oh boy, does this resonate with me, Sarah! I am right there with you with the going grocery shopping when you're not supposed to be doing anything that day. I think undoing the way we've been programmed to "Get Sh*t Done!" in our culture and ticking things off from a to-do takes practice. After taking time off of work this year, I realized I was still in GO mode and I had to be super mindful and aware that I was not stressing myself out by piling on the errands and other tasks that were floating around in my head. When I started to do a lot more of hanging on the couch to watch streaming or going on longer walks, I can't say I necessarily felt "better," but... I was practicing how it felt to force myself to stop running around. And I have to say, this practice became easier. Of course, it helped tremendously that I didn't have to work, but I'm hoping this practice will translate over to when I eventually go back to work. :) Thanks for sharing. Love the headstand pic.
In my current phase in life, the only time I would permit myself not to do anything is when I call in sick. Calling in sick feels like such a luxury and privilege that when I exercise it, I feel the moral weight to use it fully to recover, which means I am not suppose to do anything. I can't lie though that I do sneak in some writings; I tell myself they are therapeautic :)
I can totally relate! I think rest doesn't always have to be physical rest, and if writing works, then by all means, go for it!
I’m obsessed with productivity, to an unhealthy degree. I can get a lot of shit done. But I make sure to start my day by filling my well with something inspiring, like reading poetry (preferably in Spanish or Italian) with my coffee. I wake myself up gently. I never start with “productivity” first thing in the morning. Then, I kick into full gear. And I mean full gear. But I take my yoga and meditation breaks, or walks with friends in the afternoon or evenings. So maybe this is how I keep sane. But, my right knee is now inflamed and I think this is my body telling me that I’m pushing too hard. So, I listen. I have cancelled my yoga class (which I was supposed to teach) and putting my feet up in bed, in my pjs, reading you! :)
I love that you listen to your body. And from what I'm reading, you're not a slave to productivity culture, rather pushing but knowing when to pause if you need to :)
I can relate to all of this! Recovering from perfectionism and pursuing a way of life that keeps me from burnout is why I write my publication and have my podcast. Getting my ideas down and sharing them with others is a reminder to myself that the way I’m hard-wired to push through without resting does not work out well for me.
So so true! I'm so glad to hear you keep reminding yourself to rest ♥️
Oh my god.. this could have been written about me! I also clean to avoid/process emotions! 🤦🏽♀️🙄 I too have to be productive ALL the time, or I feel like a failure, or I'm "lazy".. I can never just be content being "a blob" (love that) on the sofa - such a screw up, honestly! Me, not you 🤣
I think we all need to redefine the word lazy 😉
Absolutely! 100% agree! 👍😆
I have an overflowing to-do list that correlates with my tendency to cram 20# of stuff into a 5# sack. While I am ok with pushing tasks to the following day (or even week), I'm sure that the "un-done list" is in the back of my mind and interfering with my productivity and happiness. I've been trying to focus to knock off many of the items that I keep putting off and pare down the list a bit so I can breath easier. But it is easier said than done.
Yeah I totally get the to-do list sitting in the back of your mind. Not sure what the solution is, but I've been trying to take a lot of things of my to-list personally.
Urgh I feel your words so muchhhh
I know, why is it SO HARD to rest???
As an expat, you can either feel left behind productivity-wise, causing you to feel like you need to catch up. Or you can feel disconnected to that hustle and bustle, therefore, bypassing that need or pressure. I oscillate between the two, but lately, I'm all about the latter. Giving yourself permission to listen to music, get lost in a good book, and hey, if you want to deep clean your house, that's good too. xo
ohhh how does being an expat make you feel left behind in terms of productivity?
Because you aren’t living in your home country, there can be a certain disconnect from your culture. I’m not inundated with America everywhere I look, quite the contrary. A lot of folks who choose to leave their passport country are looking to escape the rat race, at least, it was for me, so I feel like I’m not part of the productivity = progress world or mindset.
Ahh totally get it! I have to say, being in the US, I feel like I never have enough time, whereas when I was living in China, I felt like I had enough or sometimes too much. Not sure if it's because I have different responsibilities or like you said, I don't have the disconnect from the culture anymore. But it's definitely something to explore.
Oh boy, does this resonate with me, Sarah! I am right there with you with the going grocery shopping when you're not supposed to be doing anything that day. I think undoing the way we've been programmed to "Get Sh*t Done!" in our culture and ticking things off from a to-do takes practice. After taking time off of work this year, I realized I was still in GO mode and I had to be super mindful and aware that I was not stressing myself out by piling on the errands and other tasks that were floating around in my head. When I started to do a lot more of hanging on the couch to watch streaming or going on longer walks, I can't say I necessarily felt "better," but... I was practicing how it felt to force myself to stop running around. And I have to say, this practice became easier. Of course, it helped tremendously that I didn't have to work, but I'm hoping this practice will translate over to when I eventually go back to work. :) Thanks for sharing. Love the headstand pic.
ohh so so true! I'm glad the practice is easier for you and here's hoping you'll find a version of it that helps you when you do go back to work.
What was your side gig, used to teach yoga right beside my vegan cafe ❤️ I make ‘em sweat then sell them juice. I think I help
My side gig was freelance writing, which I now do full-time.