Thanks to @nikejustdoit100 for this great video idea! ⭐If you have any money x media ideas or topics you'd like to see me cover, let me know in the comments! Thanks for watching☺

If our ancestors could see us now (from whatever country they hail from) and see us panicking and stressing with all of the niceties and time-saving luxuries we have (washing machines, supermarkets, pre-built houses) they’d lose their minds. Innovation and technological advancements were supposed to save us time and open the door for more leisure, as if we were living like the Jetsons. But it’s like we’re at an all you can eat buffet, and someone gave us a bigger plate where we can just pile on more food.

I'm a stay at home mom and oh my LORD is there a massive push for constant productivity. If it's not playing with the kids, it's laundry or cleaning the bathrooms or doing dishes or changing the sheets... and then if I do something for myself I have to show proficiency in it. Like with my crochet... if I don't have a polished and delightfully perfectly made piece from hours of crocheting over a few days then I just 'spent an awful lot of time doing nothing.' (Actual quote from an in-law when I was freaking SELF TEACHING the craft itself, as if learning a skill is doing nothing.) I'm still working to let myself do nothing and I can't get further than watching a show or reading a book. Actually doing NOTHING is hard af.

While I think John Lennon was a hippy I do believe in his quote "time you enjoy wasting is not wasted" it doesn't hurt to stop and smell the flowers once in awhile. Making self improvements is important but what's the point if you never stop to take in the fruit of all of that labor?

I feel like so much of productivity culture is about the AESTHETICS of being productive without really getting things done. Think about it, how many videos have you seen of people with perfectly organized desks with color-corresponding office supplies and perfectly formatted bullet journals? I feel that it's less about getting things done and more about looking good.

My colleague asked me what my plans for the weekend were. I told I had no plans. I am going to read books and maybe go for a walk. Sometimes you just have to relax and do nothing. For me that's luxury!

I like to look at my rabbits. They eat, they clean themselves, the hop around and explore.. but mostly they chill out. Have an afternoon snooze. They don't do anything productive - yet they are so loved and precious and deserve to exist and be happy. I don't really understand why humans are "not valued" by society if they just enjoy their spare time doing things they love/relaxing. We are not machines. Yes we need jobs, challenges and get things done.. but not 24/7.

Its such an insane pressure to always be improving, i became disabled in my mid twenties and have now reached the point that i can work parttime from home after years of not being able and a lot of the time i can only think but its a parttime job with no growth opportunities instead of being happy for my health i always feel im useless

I've worked with too many people who do obscenely long hours and they irritate me. I do not work in saving lives, so why overstress and stay 3 extra hours to check another box when you could just relax and do it tomorrow? People in workplaces need to chill

Sometimes I think I spend too many hours in a work day distracted or just staring off. But I've found that I'm often more clear and concise in my emails, and detail oriented in my work than some of my colleagues who are jumping from one task to another. I get raves about how great I am for the team, but tbh, I feel as though I work for maybe 3-4 hours of the day.

I REALLY NEEDED THIS VIDEO. I sprained my ankle today so I couldn't do my dance practice, but in the back of my head I had that one thought "no excuses, LET'S GOOO", so at least I watched the video of the choreo I am trying to learn so I could memorize it faster and let my ankle heal. It's all ok, THERE'S ALWAYS TOMORROW

You are 1 person, out of 7 billion people on one planet, out of 8 planets, orbiting 1 star, out of 300 billion stars in one galaxy, out of 200 billion to 2 trillion galaxies. We should just do ourselves and let those obsessed people learn the hard way that in the end it all means nothing.

about a year ago I quit my job due to burn out. When I wasn't in a rush to get a new job everyone thought I lost my mind. I caught up on sleep, started eating better, took walks, overall just got healthier and found peace. What I observed was everyone around me had this sense of fear in them and was trying to pass it to me. I heard every doom and gloom scenario and that I wasn't hungry enough. I just had an optimism that I would be fine but kept hearing "lucky you, we all can't do that". Yet the same ppl who shamed me hated their jobs, relationships were in shambles, and were sacred about the future even with amazing jobs. Just fear and low self esteeming trying to make more fear and low self esteem. Typing this from the desk of my cushy part time job and had an job interview earlier this week. F it we ball.

On weekends I lay in bed, my dog next to me with his belly up, watch your videos and maybe read some and game some. And I feel great and unproductive. Productivity is overrated and it feels too much like "keeping up with the Joneses" sometimes instead of just focusing on ourselves and do what we feel like on a day to day basis Another issue I see is the fact that worker productivity has gone way up over the past couple decades, due to technology. But the wages have not gone up accordingly. So we are being more productive, and profits shoot up but wages barely crawl up.

One thing I’d like to add is that I see a lot of productivity culture, online especially, reference the super rich and try to emulate their lifestyles to get to the same end. Problem being, those lifestyles are often only functional for those who can afford them and a large amount of super rich people have generational wealth. We can aspire to the same results but without the same huge financial backing, you’re being fed a lie that says you can be like them if only you worked harder.

One thing I notice is I become the most productive when I’m not trying to be productive. Like if something is important to me I’ll go out my way to do it without thinking meanwhile if it’s not important I’ll overthink situations and start to feel very behind and be like “I’ll do it later.” So I think best thing is to do what you genuinely want to do without expecting validation from others.

I am currently 38 weeks pregnant and on maternity leave. My brain is definately struggling with the idea that I am being 'unproductive' atm even though I am literally having a baby next week?! wtf.

Comparison is the thief of joy. ❣️

When I expressed concern about finishing my thesis on time, one of my committee members dismissively told me: "you could write a 200-page dissertation from scratch in 2 months if you worked 40 hours a week." The culture is nuts. (Bonus: later, she was so slow to provide feedback on my 60-page thesis that I almost didn't finish on time. Morbidly hilarious.)

I ditched "productivity" in 2017. One of the best decisions I ever made.

We need to talk more about internalized capitalism and the idea that we think keeping busy will keep us with enough money to survive. Plus, as an American, atleast America needs to address this belief of productivity coming from religious beliefs (specifically Christian) being pushed on the general culture for hundreds of years.

Having adopted anti-capitalist views over the years, here's how I see it: Some people are very goal-oriented. They like to set a goal and see it through. Others, not so much. They may not be as career or goal-orientented. Both of these are okay. The problem with late-stage capitalism is that it assigns moral value to the former. Your output and drive do not define your inherent worth as a human being. We shouldn't have to earn our place in this world when we don't even know why we're here.

Im in college, so thank you so much for making this video - it will help me a lot, i am sure. Sometimes I find myself asking, before I entered adult life - is life just all work? What's the point of having money if I cannot enjoy my life? And while yes, we need to work and make money, we also should sometimes stop and ask ourselves "what is this all for?". What is life if not to enjoy? Im getting a bit philosophical here, so lets get back to topic. I love how you mentioned that productivity rises when we are unproductive, which seems funny but is true. I think of it like an engine - when it is well maintained and given sufficient time to cool down, its more effective than one that is constantly left overheated and its motor not taken care of. And I believe that being creative and coming up with solutions is important in many fields, at least it is important in CSE, my major. And to be creative, your brain motors have to be well oiled - and that is achieved by having enough rest, being able to just let your mind "shut down" for a while instead of keeping it online all the time Who should determine what makes a good life? Why is a productive life considered a good one?

I LOVE that idea of productivity being the consumption of achievements and busyness. We think about just root of the word- “to produce,” right? But your idea changes that. Rather than “producing” or creating an output, it’s a PRODUCT. Productivity IS the product, kind of similarly to how “self care” has become a capitalistic market of pure overconsumption. I think for myself, trying to re-conceptualize productivity as “producing” space and time for myself has been helpful. I’m in no way a fully balanced individual, but I’m working on it. And rather than productivity meaning that I have to produce an output, productivity can mean that I’m “producing” (ie. Reassessing and re-prioritizing) my time to be creative, or read a book, or take time with friends, whatever. Thank you for yet another thoughtful (and thought-provoking) video!

Dying for your take on shareholder vs stakeholder capitalism. I didn’t know there was a difference!

I've literally only been unemployed for over a week and I already feel lesser than despite having wonderful support system. I am trying to learn how to meditate so I can free myself from societal and internal expectations. Nice video!

I must be an oddball by societies standards because I always say, "Oh I had a great weekend, I was so unproductive!" I love doing relaxing things to recharge my brain, not being busy every second of the waking day. An "unproductive" weekend means I actually got the change to relax and recharge.

NO. THAT WAS TELEPATHIC! I was just thinking an hour back of why hasn't Cara posted recently, and I saw some video, after seeing which I was really really wanting to see a video of yours... AND, You Saved The Day!!! Wayyyyy to Goooooo

Hi Cara There is a theory, which may boarder line on conspiracy theory, that says... corporate bosses demand long work hours and busy calendars from their employees.. and the reason behind that has less to do with productivity. Instead, the true motivation behind that is to fill employee's thoughts with work related tasks / things / items, that employees would have less time to think about themselves. By doing that, they trap employees in the rat race, because employees are so busy thinking about work, that they stop thinking about their own desire / well-being / etc... When this happens, employees are less likely to "rebel" or less likely to figure out what corporate bosses are up to. Sounds like conspiracy theory... but still very interesting.

We lost our company during lockdown and being unemployed these past 2 years has been horrible. You feel burnt out just from trying to survive and youre so busy trying to survive that you never manage to get back to where you were. Im looking after my parents and grandparemts because they will starve and die without me and it takes so much effort that i cant look after myself and it makes me hate every little hustle i pull off because it feels like im not getting anywhere

yup, up to my neck in toxic productivity. it was so bad that I started to notice signs of burnout. I am trying to balance my life now, long road ahead of me. Great video, thanks! ❤️

I am self-employed, which adds a weird push for me to work often. When I try to chill out and play games, I often find myself thinking, "I could make money now" and takes away the joy of relaxing.

I have a demanding job and I’m a part time student, who also lives alone and pays all my bills. I have been so burnt out lately, but I have a friend that whenever we get together constantly states “we should do this, we should do that, there’s money to be made!”. It’s exhausting. I silenced her over the weekend so I could just reflect and not be constantly shamed for having any free time. I concluded that work and school are ENOUGH at this moment in my life. I should sleep and rest MORE!!!

Like most things. A balance that works for you is the key. Seems as more companies are laying off staff, those who remain have to pick up the slack - which will lead to employees leaving for a better work environment.

This whole thing reminds me of what my dad told me. There's a subset of computer programming called "extreme programming," which is where you try to write as much code as you can as quickly as possible. And a common principle of this is that you will genuinely code faster if you take breaks.

Something I hear quite a bit about when seeking information on achieving my own goals is consistency over constant productivity. Having a plan and coming to the table consistently means that you’re always making progress even at a “slower” pace. So far I’ve found implementing that with intrinsic and external rewards to motivate myself have really helped my ability to just do the important things in the first place. I get a sense that because of this expectation to be constantly working or hustling and contributing to capitalism at a breakneck pace is the expectation and that expectation on young adults makes many of us feel like we’re not enough or has us compare ourselves to the people around us and asking “why am I not in their position yet?” You’re not lazy for trying to figure you’re life out and you don’t need to conform to what society wants to exploit you for to be a worthy human being

"Perfomative productive" great word! The question is, am I doing this because it reaches specific goal or just my ego? I'm trying to ask that even if it stuns my activity a bit.

the word "should" enters my vocabulary WAYYYYY too much. also, the feeling of having to maximize every second of every day to the fullest otherwise im wasting my life. creates a feeling of guilt any time i try to relax and just take it easy, which is what drove me to my current burnout

Thank you for this video! Toxic productivity played a huge part in getting me to burnout at the young age of 21. And later on it worked adversely in stabilizing my health (always pushing my own boundaries too far in the name of productivity and how it was tied to my self worth).

As an Army Veteran, in my mid 30's, who was trying to grow in corporate America in a Fortune 500 top ranked bank, I recently had to medically retire and stop working altogether. I constantly find myself thinking about how I'm being unproductive and maybe I can go back to work, and then my disability flares up and reminds me why any job with a set schedule is impossible for me to hold. Yet, I still feel like I'm not doing enough and keep looking for ways to be productive. Maybe I learn a new skill, or get a new degree/certification, or just do something even when my body is shut down. It's hard to focus on getting better, doing nothing, when you feel like you aren't doing enough.

I wish I could remember the term for it, but I recall learning a while back the concept of ‘latent’ thought. These are thoughts that occur beside our consciousness that are actually very valuable in problem solving and reasoning. Latent thought however is elusive and can be occluded by busy or challenging activities. This is why going for a walk without listening to anything, staring at walls or just eating quietly can be so valuable to how we work. This is definitely something that’s not often considered and can be hard to quantify the value of.

Well. Wasn’t this some serendipitous timing: I’ve been listening to your back-catalogue of videos this past week as background to some low-focus-needed tasks at work, and literally an hour ago on my lunch break I was lamenting all the way on my drive home to let my dog out that I feel awful about “how unproductive I am at work, and at home, and with my creative goals-what is wrong with me? Why can’t I do better?” I didn’t think to want a video like this one, because it didn’t occur to me that I wasn’t the thing that needed fixing while somehow not being able to figure out how to fix me ❤ love your work!

Finally watching this after being super productive for the past 2 weeks and almost burning out

See my “religious” philosophy is that I am you and you are me so when you achieve things, I do too, just through you… so idk. I love watching other succeed because it means humanity succeeds and that’s a win.

My favorite idea for reflection is called "productivity levels". You define a list of activities that you deem good activities (like specific household chores, work items, and hobby/self care activities) and each day you write down what activities you did that day. If you did at least 3 activities, you had a fulfilling or "productive" day. 5+ is obviously awesome, but if you do at least 3 activities you had a good day. So if all I did in a day was laundry, dishes, and went on a walk, I still had a pretty full day.

like i dont even want to do a side hustle but i feel like i SHOULD because of expectations set by society that you should always be working on something

I like to think I'm good at avoiding the comparison trap, but I just found out one of my high school classmates is going to be competing for Miss America. That's definitely poking at my self-esteem a bit.

So well-written! Thanks Cara for your consistency in sharing these thoughtful video essays 😁

I absolutely love your videos, and this one came at exactly the right time. I am planning to take a month off on long service leave simply to “be”. Go for walks, read books, hang out with friends, write for fun - all the stuff that I haven’t had time for because my whole life seems to be consumed by my job. Even though I am 35 and completely independent, my parents made me question this plan by saying that I shouldn’t take time off to “do nothing”. They are the kinds of people who have to be “productive” every single second. It’s exhausting

This feels close to an issue I’ve been battling at university since I began. I am in a vocational degree with employment almost guaranteed at the end, and we all work and study at the same time. I went part time in second year because I live with disabling mental illness, and felt extremely guilty for doing so. I listen to my peers stress about their course map, the fear of extending the degree, and it feels suffocating to listen to how fearful people are of not meeting the standard of the full time degree to full time employment pipeline. These conversations almost certainly hold people back from going part time, but we will all get work when we eventually graduate and many of us would be happier if we take the slow route, and yet many of us don’t.

I used to use the hourly planner to track how many hours I was studying but found myself doing the extremes: studying 8 hours one day and none the next. Now I study about 2 hours a day and get more done by the end of the week.

Wow! You are absolutely right! I personally value myself by my achievements, what I've managed to do during the day and if I dont get the "perfect for me results" then I am a failure. However, I realized that after having everything I want I couldnt enjoyed it or relax, I though it was about time to challenge this toxic extreme. Thank you!

I think it’s also worth mentioning that in many places working 40+ hours is necessary to meet the cost of living. So companies would have to agree to pay employees more for working less

Excellent video, as always love!!! 💚 I definitely feel the productivity pressure as everyone does but thankfully (as a therapist) I'm able to reflect on self care time, nature time, friend time, etc. as productive too because it's super important as well! 💚 ESPECIALLY as a therapist, self care is literally ESSENTIAL for my work.

Decided to check out a new local barbershop in my area, hes right next to my sisters business so we were able to talk casual. Im impressed because hes in his early 20s, cuts hair, and already has his own business, but this guy doesnt give himself a break. He said his hobbies include promoting himself and making cash. He even told me his girlfriend of 5 years broke up with him, because he was so focused on his business. I could tell he was pretty upset when it came to the aspect of relationships, but i think he tried to brush it off like "Oh its life, Im making money so thats all that matters" Again, respect to him, being a young barber (he did do a very good job on my hair), but I do hope he finds some work-life balance

i love what you say here. came to the same realisation a while ago too. i dont know if i am wording this right but there seems to be entirely another level of fatigue once you realise that being productive is to "take care of yourself mentally too" i imagined myself to be a character in Sims. Having money is great but I have to take care of my social needs, my fun meter, my fitness etc etc etc... it's like the first level of productivity is to max out money. next level is to max out sustainability to max out money. then the next...? it is fuc- really tiring to have to take care of myself this way. I too want to be irresponsible and just go scorched earth on things. instead, i try to go on walks. play games. talk to people. it works but uh... you know how people says doing bad things ( aka alcoholism, gambling, drug abuse etc ) have diminishing returns on satisfaction? it seems like doing good things have diminishing returns too. what do you do then when doing the "good things" no longer stops you from wanting to throw a hammer at a wall just to see it crumble? not really expecting an answer. i am half-venting, half thankful for what you talked about in this vid. i guess tldr is, "i wish i can forget all the things i know about mental health. feels like a curse now more than a blessing."

I like how the video is about burnout and the sponsor literally hires people on the edge of burnout from third world countries. 🤣 This is like having a Funeral Home sponsor the senior Olympics.

Every weekend, I need at least 1 day to do sod all at home. All day, I will just watch videos, eat, read, and maybe do my laundry if I feel like it. It's good for my mental health before diving into another tiring week of work. While my bf works all the time, even over the weekends and sometimes he would say that I should do something more productive over the weekend... NO. 😤

One of the best spaces on KZfaq. I'm so proud of you, Cara!

These excellent points about taking breaks (and “intrinsically valuable activities”) are inspiring. Yes I agree

i agree with everything in this video. so just to add, the problem i have personally, is i have AuDHD. meaning my needs conflict, plus i get very bored (in a very painful way) easily. so my ADHD boredom drives me to keep doing more, even when i want to rest. of course along side that, there’s the anxiety and guilt etc, but there’s also the problem of ADHD boredom which prevents me from both resting and getting anything done. it’s confusing.

I 100% agree. I tried to become more productive than I am now, and it destroyed my workflow and nearly my sanity. Granted this isn't an excuse for people who are just lazy 🤣

For me, when I say I've had an unproductive day, it's because I've been on my phone too much time. Meeting with friends, going on dates, visiting my parents, going for a walk, even watching a film are productive things for me, because I consider them quality leisure activities. What I don't want is spending too much time on stupid apps. After several hours I feel unhappy and physically sick.

Cara, I’m so happy to have found your channel. Your video essays have taught me so much. I know I suffer from that productivity culture mindset. I love the topics you cover and appreciate your concise wording and talking points. Please keep making these! 😊

This video is so good. Thank you for making this

I just love your channel and take on real, helpful topics. Thank you! ⭐️🤍

i've never related to a youtube intro more

Teach me how to get more done by working less hours

Your editor doing the motion graphics right when you said it was peak comedic timing 👌

You do have an interesting perspective and I do agree with you on a lot of things, especially the 40 hr work week. People are getting burnt out way too fast and it's all because of money. Nearly al the decisions we make throughout the course of an average day is about money...corporations are even moreso. The feeling of being unproductive does work, but only for the very skilled and talented. ie. Wayne Gretzky ...the best hockey player to lace up skates...during his entire career...always had a sense of not being good enough. He was scared of being cut from the team, so he kept going. No athlete ever has dominated a sport so much as him. This is where the undying need to get better actually works.

You're speaking directly to me here

Thank you for that video. It's liberating.

Start of the video makes me almost immediately think about the book "Work, Consumerism and the New Poor"

I was just talking about this with a fellow small business owner and her and I were unveiling some of these points.

The company I work for used to be flexible with clocking in and out, which was the main benefit over other companies that offer a similar salary bracket. I would gladly work overtime for that flexibility. However, we now have new management that is strictly enforcing clock in and out times, and over time is expected for any tasks not completed for the day...without pay! Because apparently that is the industry "norm"... Their gaslighting BS has now stoked the fire for me to start looking for other employment options.

It's easier being productive if I do so on my own terms instead of doing so to desperately try to please all these strangers in a greater society of countless people who don't even care about me as a person.

Honestly this was a bit frustrating. Knowing that productivity isn't helped by 'just doing more' has been known for decades, contrary to what you say in your video. What is new is productivity culture, and toxic productivity. Working hours don't stay the same because 'we've always done it this way' but because hours are determined by corporations and employers. People have even less power with the decrease in living standards and employment conditions, and less motivation or ability to enact change due to this, and the decimation of labour unions, and protest rights. You present a very individualistic perspective and I think it would be great to research union and workers rights history, to get a better understanding of the context

God I love your content! Yes, and sometimes it isnt just work productivity, it could also be social productivity such as I should be utilisimy fleeting youth to go to parties or festivals or taylor swift concerts, but honestly im getting burned by both work and social productivity where I always feel like what Im doing now is never enough

I'm always so excited to see a video from you that I can't focus on what's being said haha

I don't feel guilty when i'm not productive the feeling is different now, it's more like frustration because I wish there was more I could be doing to advance on my goals but things with me can often be time gated by for instance the need to save up to take a class and it's like in the meantime i'm left looking for things to entertain myself just to kill time as the money slow drips in. But then again I've often felt of society like, it screwed me over as a kid, that's a long story though and i'm not getting into it in your comment section without being asked to dump that trauma on you, anyways,. I feel It says it owes me nothing, but the same in return, I don't feel I owe it my productivity- if I owe anyone its myself. and that's why I feel frustrated when i'm not.

To me not productive means not living according to what I want. I feel productive watching shows. I dont feel productive scrolling through social media

Reminds me of study culture trend among college students

Could you do a video about toxic productivity in education/academia? Honestly I'm close to finishing my Master's and I feel my studies have exposed me to a lot of this (I'm a Stem student and I seem to understand this is more common for my generation than the previous ones)

The first thing Gabriel Nistico says in her VO business book is to schedule lunch. Give yourself personal time every day.

I'm so sorry but the background music kept making me feel like I was hitting an unstable piece of furniture (making it reverberate) and I had to stop the vid and just read the transcript 😖

This reminds me of the book by Alain de Botton, Status Anxiety. There's a documentary about it somewhere here on YT.

I have always valued time over money & have been judged as lazy for doing so

"sleep deprivation is your drug of choice" -Fivver ad A bit contradictory sponsor-content isn't it?

I think productivity is a good thing, but it should not be confused with looking busy.

This is *CAPITALISM* what do people expect? - Privatized the "means of production" *Richest 1% shareholders* - Own 53% of ALL U.S. corporations. *Richest 10% shareholders included* - Own ~ 90% of all U.S. corporations.

Exactly. I’m not unproductive. I’m menstruating.

All this is assuming that the way our culture is structured right now and for the past 200 years, is inevitable and unchangeable. Most people throughout history have had a different relationship to work and productivity, though the seeds of needing to be productive were sown even before our species came into being. Instrumental productivity used to mean doing something useful for your family/village/tribe, not just making abstract money doing abstract, sometimes BS and sometimes actually harmful work. Although doing BS work productively is also something that predates our species (look up the Southern Masked Weaver, for example). Many of our attitudes about productivity also predate the industrial revolution and go back to agriculture. Seems like Hunter gatherers had a healthier attitude, and were better able to couple intrinsic and extrinsic productivity. I think we could too if we could build more self sufficient entities that produced for local village consumption.

this channel has really exploded

3:21 to skip the ad 😊

Japan will be one of the last countries on earth to cut down hours and implement shorter work weeks. Their culture and mentality is soo deeply rooted in hard work, productivity and pleasing the company and boss, that it’s just not gonna happen. And it’s not normal for the Japanese to just quit and work for someone else and then later again for someone else. They usually stick with the one company that hired them after uni until they retire. And the older you are, the less chances you’ll have to get hired by someone else. And Japanese companies are soo greedy and will find more work for workers so cutting down on hours isn’t something they’ll do. Not as a whole. They don’t even put limits on overtime. People die from excessive overtime all the time. Government won’t even limit that. It’s a joke

She is so pretty

I needed this

The Shareholders are the unproductive and "lazy workers" i.e. the do jack squat any of the real work, but get the lion's share of earnings. "Let the money do the work for you" in reality it is the workers that do the work for them.

Productivity is literally killing me

I was looking for content like this for a long time!!. Do you recommend any podcast regarding this topic ?