The familiar feeling of guilt hits me after I finish watching the last episode of a show on Netflix. I could spend hours working, meeting deadlines, turning in assignments, and yet when I take a break, thoughts like “why are you being so lazy” and “you’re wasting time” come flooding. Turns out, however, I’m not the only one.
Students push themselves to study for exams, balance a hundred extracurriculars, manage due dates, and a very very long list of assignments only to be left drained and exhausted. And then, when they hit pause and try to relax, they’re stressed at the thought of being unproductive. Maybe if they work some more they’ll feel better. They don’t… Instead, these students find themselves overwhelmed with another set of tasks ready for them as they move into the next day. This endless cycle of stress is a sad truth for many of us.
This feeling and constant push to work our hardest stems from the idea of internalized capitalism. What is it? Where does it come from? And why does this plague so many of us?
What started as a method to revive countries’ economies after the Great Depression has now turned into a toxic trait engrained in so many of our minds.
“Modern-day capitalism is rooted in the idea of competition and working your way to the top, so students are pressured to succeed at everything.” Capitalism, “the economic system where independent entities privately own the means of production,” has directed and cultivated the work culture instilled in so many. The system drives individuals to maximize productivity and beat out competitors. Maybe it’s fitting in our workplace. Unfortunately, it’s also followed us into our homes and social lives. Whether we like it or not, a society centered around profit engrains the idea that our value is based on our productivity. Perfect grades, impressive extracurriculars, job experiences, a social life, a promising future career, we’re taught to have it all. To succeed at everything. Where does this leave us? Overworking young adults with anxiety, controlling insecurities, and the fear to fail. With a generation that has the highest depression rates of all time and a burning desire to improve quality of life, it’s obvious that we need to find a new system.
But how?
The first step is to realize that this problem exists. As we unconsciously internalize these capitalist methods, it’s crucial that we first acknowledge it. We can begin to question why we feel guilty and if we should even feel this way. By doing this, we can rewire our brains to think and feel differently— changing the years of conditioning. It’s also important to find a healthy balance so we don’t overwork ourselves in the first place. Especially during the pandemic, when some of us are working at home, it can be hard to not either do nothing all day and feel bad or work all day and feel exhausted. Instead, it’s important to take short breaks throughout the day to do something we enjoy. This also involves accepting the fact that it’s normal for our energy to fluctuate. We don’t have to tick everything off our checklist every day. Some days will be better than others. Sometimes we feel more motivated than others. We mustn’t criticize ourselves for this.
As a more long-term solution, it’s crucial that as a society, we redefine “success” and rethink the connection between our worth and our productivity. Instead of glorifying the hustling lifestyle and romanticizing stress, we can begin encouraging students to have mindful learning and a balanced lifestyle. We can take another look at what we value as a society. More carefully consider our mental health, priorities, and beliefs. In a time of reformation and “new normals,” this seems like the perfect opportunity to take a step back and revaluate the systems we’ve grown so accustomed to.
Srishti Gummaraju is an international student pursuing high school studies in Kyiv. She is an avid reader, linguist, active student community member, interested in exploring new cultures, and hopes to pursue higher studies in communications and international relations
