Neurodiversity and the Pressure of Productivity
Hey All!
I'm sorry that this week's post is a day late. I took some time last night to be with friends and breathe. It's this current need for breathing space which I would like to talk about this evening. We all have the capacity for overload and stress but I do believe that there is an additional element of natural anxiety that may need considering. Today has been a tough day for me in some ways. There's been a lot that I am learning to balance, some old things in new combinations, like friendships and university, and some completely new things, such as work, and today I think it all got the better of me a bit today, making the day a bit of a challenge. However, what I think usual doesn't help, and for me this was something I have been struggling with, is the pressure to be productive.
We live in a world where your value as an individual is too often based upon what you can offer and what you can achieve. While it is often positive to encourage others to aim high and do cool things, I think this system is ultimately unhealthy and flawed when applied to self-worth. Part of the reason I think that this method of self-evaluation is flawed is because we all have different abilities and different struggles to face. Part of this differing ability, I believe, is differing abilities to cope with stress and to multi-task. As an autistic person who also has a history with anxiety and mood problems, I sometimes find it difficult to cope when I am being overstimulated and overwhelmed with a lot of information or tasks. I also find it harder to keep going when things go wrong or not how I expected them to. This can, at times, make it more difficult to be productive. It's hard to be productive when you feel as though you're are struggling to cope and feel as though everything being thrown at you is too much to process. And that's not even taking into consideration that we are also just like everyone else in the way that we are humans who get tired and need rest!
Ultimately, one of the biggest problems with equating your productivity and your value, especially for those of us who are neurodiverse or live with mental health problems, is that this mindset does not promote self-care. Those of living with these kind of experiences sometimes need to practice a little extra self-care. This can be for a number of reasons, from being more prone to overload or fatigue to the emotional impact of meltdowns and shutdowns. The key issue is that when we start placing our worth in our productivity we stop prioritising self-care because it stops serving this agenda that society has given us. It means that even when we are literally unable to do the things we need to do, we can't truly rest because we are worrying about all the tasks that need to be completed. This is not a healthy way to live, but I also understand that it's a difficult thing to break out of. I have spent a large part of today frustrated with myself because I've not been working on essays or doing my reading, even though logically I know that these things aren't best for me right now.
So, I've watched some films, done what I feel able to and treated myself to a Nandos. Let's start a self-care revolution!
Look after yourselves and practise a little extra self-compassion this week.
See you later Alligators!
Freya x
PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.wrike.com/blog/high-cost-of-multitasking-for-productivity/
I'm sorry that this week's post is a day late. I took some time last night to be with friends and breathe. It's this current need for breathing space which I would like to talk about this evening. We all have the capacity for overload and stress but I do believe that there is an additional element of natural anxiety that may need considering. Today has been a tough day for me in some ways. There's been a lot that I am learning to balance, some old things in new combinations, like friendships and university, and some completely new things, such as work, and today I think it all got the better of me a bit today, making the day a bit of a challenge. However, what I think usual doesn't help, and for me this was something I have been struggling with, is the pressure to be productive.
We live in a world where your value as an individual is too often based upon what you can offer and what you can achieve. While it is often positive to encourage others to aim high and do cool things, I think this system is ultimately unhealthy and flawed when applied to self-worth. Part of the reason I think that this method of self-evaluation is flawed is because we all have different abilities and different struggles to face. Part of this differing ability, I believe, is differing abilities to cope with stress and to multi-task. As an autistic person who also has a history with anxiety and mood problems, I sometimes find it difficult to cope when I am being overstimulated and overwhelmed with a lot of information or tasks. I also find it harder to keep going when things go wrong or not how I expected them to. This can, at times, make it more difficult to be productive. It's hard to be productive when you feel as though you're are struggling to cope and feel as though everything being thrown at you is too much to process. And that's not even taking into consideration that we are also just like everyone else in the way that we are humans who get tired and need rest!
Ultimately, one of the biggest problems with equating your productivity and your value, especially for those of us who are neurodiverse or live with mental health problems, is that this mindset does not promote self-care. Those of living with these kind of experiences sometimes need to practice a little extra self-care. This can be for a number of reasons, from being more prone to overload or fatigue to the emotional impact of meltdowns and shutdowns. The key issue is that when we start placing our worth in our productivity we stop prioritising self-care because it stops serving this agenda that society has given us. It means that even when we are literally unable to do the things we need to do, we can't truly rest because we are worrying about all the tasks that need to be completed. This is not a healthy way to live, but I also understand that it's a difficult thing to break out of. I have spent a large part of today frustrated with myself because I've not been working on essays or doing my reading, even though logically I know that these things aren't best for me right now.
So, I've watched some films, done what I feel able to and treated myself to a Nandos. Let's start a self-care revolution!
Look after yourselves and practise a little extra self-compassion this week.
See you later Alligators!
Freya x
PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.wrike.com/blog/high-cost-of-multitasking-for-productivity/
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