The Dawn Chorus…

I have seen a lot of posts online lately that might have the intention to be inspirational, but are more likely to be making people feel bad.

Basically, it goes like this: if you don’t “come out of this lockdown” with your side hustle started or online courses finished or with anything at all done, it means that you clearly never wanted it in the first place. Or some bullshit like that…

As much as this situation can help some people be more productive or help others pick up activities/goals/dreams that they had left behind, it doesn’t have to be this way.

It actually isn’t the perfect climate for productivity at all because it is making most of us anxious and scared, and it can get quite overwhelming at times, especially considering our exposure to all the news and media…

Not everyone can find the energy or motivation to be productive in such circumstances. Not everyone can rise above the thick cloud of alarming/confusing/depressing news and become their best selves with a #lockdownproductivity.

And it is perfectly okay.

Right now, you don’t have to be productive.

You don’t have to finish that book you’ve been meaning to read.

You don’t have to have your online pottery shop fully setup after x weeks.

You don’t have to master Italian.

You don’t have to build a new smartphone app.

You don’t have to learn how to play that guitar that’s been rotting in the attic.

You don’t have to take up an online course on digital marketing.

You don’t have to start your own website.

You can ; but you don’t have to.

With all the “free” time that most of us have on our hands right now, it is tempting to jump into all these things. I mean, why shouldn’t we? It is a fantastic idea and in theory makes total sense: more free time = more opportunities for productivity.

But the actual reality of things is that it might be possible on some days but not on others; or it might not be possible at all. Depending on how you are coping with the stress or whatever emotions you are feeling right now, you might not be able to do or feel like doing much.

And it is okay. Don’t go beating yourself up because in those two months (or has it been more? I don’t know what Time is anymore) you didn’t get one thing done; okay? We’re all trying our best to get through this, and you really don’t have to worry about that right now.

You’re okay ; it’s okay. ♥

It’s okay if you want to do things, but you can’t because you’re too stressed out or too tired. It’s okay if you’d rather distract yourself by watching the telly or playing games instead of being productive.

I sometimes get waves of energy followed by waves of sadness when I am going through overwhelming times such as these. But, because my mind is always set on working hard, even when I don’t feel good, I can sometimes gather enough strength to make some art or play some music. But that’s not always the case.

I have at times eaten too much ice cream or gotten very emotional. I have had days where I was super productive and others where I only managed one or two things. And I’ve also had days where I only watched cat videos in bed followed by cat videos in the couch and then watched some more things with Billy.

This post actually falls right in line with my previous one : I didn’t do anything apart from playing video games for a full week because I needed an escape from this and as much as I wanted to sing, I needed to rest more.

The point is: we all function differently, and we all cope in our own way. So don’t listen to those people out there trying to make you feel bad for needing to nap or snack or play games instead of writing a book or growing the perfect garden.

Just be kind to yourself. Listen to what your body needs, what your mind needs. Take breaks from your phone or the people you are living with. Take breaks from yourself, too.

And make sure to reach out to your friends and/or family, check on them, see how they’re doing. Or don’t.

Just breathe and do whatever you need to be okay and get through this. ♥