Why you should be proud of yourself even when you aren't productive

Spring is a very beautiful and refreshing time of year, and also one of the most stressful. The weight of school and work catches up to you, and every obligation you need to address is met with exhaustion. We might feel that we just need to get through the next assignment, the next shift, the next task, exhausted or not. But we need to give ourselves permission to embrace moments of being still.

Constantly being busy is not the price one must pay to earn their spot in the world. One’s level of productivity is not synonymous with their worthiness. The act of existing just as you are is the most productive thing you can give. 

It’s easy to get trapped in the cycle of going from one obligation to the next. As time goes on and we grow older, we become accustomed to being active participants in a bustling world. When we are children in kindergarten we earn praise by learning our ABC’s, and when we are adults we receive a paycheck when we successfully execute hard work. Starting young, we learn that we are valuable assets only if we achieve a certain level of work. And this isn’t to say that hard work is not valuable and should be rewarded, but rather that our work abilities are not our only worthwhile qualities. 

The picture of success is often a young, physically beautiful person who wakes up at five every morning, never misses a workout, and never procrastinates on their homework. Social media fills our heads with reminders that we always have to be hustling in order to feel good about ourselves, and to be liked by others. When I look at Snapchat and see yet another post of somebody’s green juice and their cleaned house and it’s not even 8:00 a.m, I look down at my large bowl of fruity pebbles that I am eating at noon and feel like absolute garbage. But I love eating large bowls of fruity pebbles at noon. I also love moments where I leave my worries and obligations for tomorrow. These days when you give yourself a break and allow yourself to relax, you give space for the brain to rest and recharge. 

The ability to take time for yourself in this way is a great privilege. If you are lucky enough to not have to fill every waking moment being busy, take advantage of it. On the other side of the coin, if you live a very busy life where you are currently unable to take rest days, try to give yourself moments throughout the day to rest. If you get off work at midnight and still have homework to do, don’t do the homework. Allow yourself the sleep your body and mind need to function. The homework can wait until you can look at it with fresh eyes. You do not have to work yourself to the bone in order to be successful. Your body will tell you what it needs if you listen.

Checking off boxes isn’t the only way one can feel fulfilled. I think living only to check off boxes is the most unfulfilling way to spend our time. Living by jumping from one accomplishment to the next is an incredible disservice to the already valuable person you are.

In the words of licensed counselor Carrie Heinze-Musgrove, “You don’t need other people or accomplishments to validate you. You are already VALUABLE.” You don’t need to prove your worthiness through endless laundry lists and sleepless nights. Instead, you can choose to respect yourself by honoring what you need.