"The Cult of Productivity: Why We Feel Guilty for Resting and Where Burnout Comes from an Early Age?"

"The Cult of Productivity: Why Do We Feel Guilty About Resting, and Where Does Burnout at an Early Age Come From?"

Nowadays, we are constantly told that we must develop ourselves, master new skills, set goals, and achieve them. People even try to spend their free time productively: for example, reading a book, watching an educational video, or engaging in self-development. Gradually, our subconscious starts to think that rest or inactivity is bad. A feeling arises as if we are missing out on something and not keeping up with life. But why do we start feeling guilty when we allow ourselves to relax a little?

I believe that this problem begins in childhood. When a child goes to school, they are already expected to get good grades, perform well, behave impeccably, and achieve great success. Parents want their children to be smart, well-mannered, and to achieve big goals in the future. On the one hand, this is good, as parents want the very best for their child. But on the other hand, they forget that this is just a child: they can also get tired, fail to cope right away, and make mistakes. For instance, if a student gets an 'A', they are praised, but when they get a 'C', they begin to be compared to others and told that others are succeeding more than they are, and that they are not good enough. As a result, the child begins to think that they are valued only for good results. And they start trying to prove all the time that they are smart, capable, and worthy of praise. Over time, this can turn into a fear of failure. A person begins to worry even over the slightest mistake and fears disappointing those around them. After school, many enter university, where even more responsibilities and worries begin. You have to pass tests, prepare for exams, excel in all subjects, and at the same time think about what you will become after graduation. And sometimes it seems that you cannot waste a single minute, because it feels like you might miss out on important opportunities.

Social media also has a great influence on our attitude toward productivity. Every day we see people showcasing their beautiful lives: someone is opening their own business, someone is traveling the world, someone has been admitted to the most prestigious university. When you look at someone else's success, you involuntarily start comparing yourself to others.

It seems that everyone around you is achieving great success, while you are standing in one place. But we forget that social media shows only a certain part of a person's life; we see only one side of the coin. Nobody posts their tears, fatigue, or failures, so you shouldn't compare your life to a fictional picture from Instagram.

Of course, this does not mean that you should give up on your goals and stop working on yourself. On the contrary, development is very important for a person: learning new skills, exploring new things, and broadening one's horizons. But there must be a limit to everything, and a person should not push themselves to become perfect and try to achieve the impossible.