I recently read an interesting piece discussing the heightened role of productivity now in our lives. The currency of one’s life has become how productive one can be whilst sheltering in place. Instead of helpful, this can become needless fodder for making our lives all the more anxious – and while covid-19 takes over the planet (isn’t that cause for anxiety enough?)
There is nothing counterrevolutionary about keeping busy. But right now, we have a finite opportunity to rethink how we value ourselves, to re-examine our metric for measuring the worth of human lives. Laurie Penny
I think she made a valid point. So in this post, I want to talk about the good and the completely irrelevant of what ‘productivity’ has looked like for me lately.
Reading
Love it, as always. As usual, my pace changes a lot. So do the topics. But that overstuffed bookshelf isn’t going to read itself.
Writing
I have posts for planned out a couple of months. If things continue as they are, I’ll have the rest of the year scheduled before summer is over.
Manicuring
Somewhere between a stubbornly tomboyish childhood and now, I decided that doing stereotypically girly things does not make me any less of a modern, independent woman. Painting my nails, however, typically requires more time (and patience!) then I generally have. In quarantine, it is the perfect mindless activity. And you know what? I can paint them garishly, utterly pink, sparkly, polka dotted, dragon lady red, or any other ridiculous pattern I can think of, and no one is around to give me crap about it.
Instagramming my Dog
It has become my shelter-in-place goal to make my dog Insta-famous. She currently has 212 followers. I am new to Instagram in general so I think that’s pretty good. She has the funniest – and sometimes weirdest – expressions, and I think she has more than enough sass to become famous. (All famous people are sassy, right?)
Hiking
Or, you know. Just . . . walking in circles throughout the neighborhood.
Playing Piano
This is the most frustrating hobby of my life. It’s not something I do consistently enough to get really good at. But it’s also not something I do sporadically enough to completely lose all talent. So I continue playing in my mediocre way, and swear I will practice more each time I sit down for the first time.
I have taught myself Clair de Lune so many times. I still suck at it. One day, Debussy. One day I will best you.
But honestly, even when I sit down for “just a couple songs,” I end up playing for an hour. It just wraps you in.
Strength Training
They say you should have both cardio and strength training in your health routines. Cardio’s never been a problem but now, I’ve finally started using weights. Just don’t tell my brother they’re 2-lb’ers.
Preparing Way Too Many Sugary Things
Fruit & nut muffins. Chocolate chip cookies. And my new favorite: truffles.
So many truffles. They’re so easy to make. We’ve even got an orange tree in the backyard and I can get some fresh zest to throw in the mix. So now I have to deal with that addiction.
Watching a Lot More of The Office
Gotta have something to fight the nostalgia for on-site work.
Preparing for Grad School
Starting this Fall. Here I go again.
What has productivity been looking like for you lately? Anything new? Anything staying exactly the same?