All work, no pleasure: Students live to work

For many, our mornings start with the sharp, blaring noise of an alarm, forcing us to wake up. Some of us are ready to tackle the day, while others may groan in an attempt to silence the echo in our minds of a new monotonous day; a list plays through: class, brush your teeth, draft paper, get dressed, reply to peers’ discussion posts, and so on. 

As a student, you’ve probably shared this sentiment numerous times. The absolute dread of an early morning or the hallucinogens of constant late nights and all-nighters. All in an attempt to achieve the same thing— productivity.

Productivity has long been a pillar in our society; it converts inputs, such as labor, into various outputs, like a product or service. Consequently, we have socially infused the toxic idea that our human worth is tied to our levels of productivity. 

These societal expectations of productivity have led many students to burnout, affecting their mental well-being and, in some cases, physical health.

Various analyses associated burnout and academic performance, demonstrating that high levels of cynicism and reduced academic efficacy are related to lower academic achievement.

Avery Montes, a math and secondary education major, defines productivity as one's ability to get things done in a timely manner and to put a lot of effort into what you’re doing.

However, Montes expresses not being able to put in the same level of effort into her work due to her course load. She expresses feeling overwhelmed and as though so much is piling up, becoming difficult to manage. 

As Montes recounts instances of sleepless nights and a 3 a.m. panic attack, coupled with a decrease in her engagement and ability to focus, she states that she has always been hard on herself.

 “When it comes to getting stuff done,” Montes said. “I feel the need to put in a lot of time and energy, but with all the stuff going on, I can't do that effectively.”

Similarly, nursing student Marianne Gerona exhibits how she views productivity by sharing her personal motto: " Every second of the day, you could be doing something.

The expression is often uttered within hustle culture, which has built its own community and online spaces. This modern mindset typically strives for 24/7 productivity, which can induce anxiety.

Although Gerona does not align with the hustle culture community, the line of thinking is parallel and shares what could be harmful habits if not balanced. Gerona recognises this thought process as extremely toxic and explains that it is the work ethic she grew up learning. Gerona also mentioned a decline in her coursework. 

 “Compared to other semesters, my grades are lower,” Gerona said. “Recently, I think it's just been a lot because not only am I getting into harder nursing classes, but I have clinicals. So I'm already at the hospital for over 30 hours a week on top of school.”

It's not that these students aren’t working and studying, but life has a habit of getting increasingly demanding while providing a universal constraint: time. 

With a limit on time and increasing stressors from numerous directions, it is very common for students to burn out, which can be categorised through exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy. Regardless of how one copes, it can lead to toxic productivity and impact one's well-being.

Gerona explains that she is very involved, and any ounce of free time is dedicated to a job, homework, or class.

She understands that if one is spending every second of the day doing something other than caring for oneself, then it's gonna lead to bad things and to burnout.

The truth is, we all need time for ourselves, but how much time do we allow ourselves when we are so used to being on the go? 

This constant cycle of toxic productivity can impact one's view of themselves. Gerona laughs as she reflects on her productivity and explains how much of her worth is tied to her daily accomplishments. 

“Oh, absolutely, yes. I will start to panic if I'm not doing enough, and then I stress about not doing enough,” Gerona said. “So then I just keep myself busy, because if I keep myself busy, then I can't stress about not doing enough.”

This circular thinking keeps Gerona and others similar, moving, but for how long and at what cost?  

Montes shares her sentiment towards not checking enough off her to-do list.

“I feel guilty when I don't get stuff done,” Montes said.

She expresses feeling trapped, often losing sleep and forgetting to eat. It seems like a continuous cycle.

 “The more stress I feel, the more tired I am, and the less I want to do,” Montes said.  

Gerona explains that she experiences physical symptoms if she doesn’t keep herself busy.

 “Usually my body will go into a panic attack,” Gerona said. “I don't really know how to describe how I feel other than I start hyperventilating and my heartbeat gets super tachycardic.”

As a community, it's our responsibility to avoid this toxic mentality when it comes to productivity. 

Of course, things have to get done, but we shouldn’t feel the need to measure ourselves so directly to our output. Activities like reading for fun or spending some time just sitting with your thoughts are viewed as unproductive due to their lack of output. 

It doesn’t produce anything, but it's time to shift our idea of productivity and address the root cause of burnout.