As we fight valiantly to regain our sense of normalcy during the lockdown, productivity is the number one thing we strive and hustle for. We hope to buckle down for a short time until this pandemic is over.
Behind this scramble for productivity is a faulty assumption that this thing will be over one day. The truth is, it wont.
The pandemic will be contained, the lockdown will be over, but the legacy of it will live on for decades. The way we move, build, learn, connect and create is being changed forever. We won’t get our lives back, we will get a whole different kind of life.
Growing up in an ungoverned and lawless Georgia (in Europe) during the 1990s I have lived through periods of social isolation, martial law, extreme poverty, natural disasters, war and violent conflicts. I have experienced food shortage, living with no electricity, running water or plumbing. I have slept under the same roof with people who I didn't trust to let me wake up the next morning. I know the feeling of tragedy and disaster in my bones.
I also know that disasters change us forever. And, when we pay attention and live through our own authentic experience of tragedy instead of following someone else's interpretation of it, we change for the better.
Demanding productivity during a crisis is delusion and denial.
We strive for productivity because productivity gives us a sense of control. But, the more we get done, the more there is to do. It's a grind that never ends. You never reach the feeling of contentment. Control is an illusion.
What hurts us even more is our mental tail chasing: the guilt and the shame of falling off the wagon, or not being productive enough. We are conditioned to use time for something we can show for it, the result we can see, count and measure.
By staying productive during crisis and tragedy, what we are really trying to do is manipulate the fear with our accomplishments or efforts.
We have fear of the unknown, fear of change, fear of losing what we have. But the fear can not be manipulated no matter how much we accomplish. Fear doesn't go away. Fearlessness is an oxymoron.
We never really become fearless. Instead, we become courageous by accepting the fear and acting while still afraid. We call this courage.
This crisis is a call to courage.
The most productive, emotionally sound and courageous thing we can do right now is release control and prepare to be changed forever.
What to do then?
First, allow room for mental adjustment.
This adjustment can look different from one day to another. You may experience sloth and apathy on some days. Other days you may be accomplishing more than ever. Allow yourself to create your own authentic experience without comparing yourself to the glorified, hyperactive, Type A achievement junkies. Accept the ups and downs as a natural and healthy process.
Accept your feelings.
We are all going through tremendous loss and trauma, even if it’s not always obvious. It’s ok to not feel ok right now. It's normal to feel low or frustrated during this transition. Allow yourself to work through the anxiety and low vibes. Far worse is to be in denial and trying to control the uncontrollable. So, be grateful for your discomfort that's caused by your sanity.
Accept that you will not become an award winning writer, an olympic athlete or an inventor of the next big business idea that changes the world. Don't put ridiculous expectations on your body, mind or spirit.
Ignore the productivity porn on social media. Let go of striving for extraordinary output. It’s ok if you're off schedule. It's ok if you didn't get anything done today. Ignore people who post their ultra productive lives during the pandemic. They are on their own journey. Cut out the noise.
Know that you’re not failing.
Drop the profound self judgement and belief of what you should be doing during the lockdown. Failure is not universal, it’s a personal belief. We have been accepting other people's standards of success and failure our whole lives. This is the time to create our own standards. Now more than ever, we need to stop performing and pretending.
Focus on physical and psychological health and security.
Your first priority should be securing your home, eating sensible foods, hydrating, moving your body, cleaning your house and making sure you have a plan in case of emergency. Once you have secured the essentials you will be more open to bigger mental, emotional and physical demands. Right now, work toward establishing your serenity, wellness and peace.
Focus on internal changes that are taking place right now.
These mental shifts require patience and self acceptance. These shifts will be raw, ugly, frustrating, hopeful and beautiful. Let yourself be and be changed. Let this crisis change how you see the world. Because how you see the world is what you experience, and your life is a sum of your experiences.
Let this tragedy tear down the old, stale beliefs, prejudices and assumptions and give you the courage to build new, bold ideas.
On the other side of this journey of hope and acceptance is fortitude and resilience. We will know how capable and strong we are.
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The day will come when this pandemic is over. We will hug our neighbors and friends. We will return to our coffee shops and sports arenas. Our borders and economy will reopen. We are just at the beginning of that journey. Our minds have not come to terms with the fact that the world has already changed. Feeling guilty for not being able to do enough during the lockdown only delays the process of acceptance.
The crisis is not here to teach us how to do more, it’s here to teach us who we can become when we lean into the uncontrollable and the uncertain.