More than seven years ago, I wrote my experience about the mirage of free time. In that story, I thought I had all the time in the world to do the things I needed to do, but I basically did nothing in the end. It was a confounding paradox that always proved true from my experience then on.
I find that the more my day is restricted, the more I was able to do the things I needed to do. And the more the day is laid out for me like a blank canvas, the less productive I become.
If you have watched an episode of Hoarders, you may not believe that someone is capable of accumulating that much stuff, let alone live with it. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often associated with this behavior, and so hoarding disorders are considered a mental health condition.
While we are quick to judge the people in the show who seem irrational in their quest to accumulate junk, we fail to realize that we are the same. But instead of things piling up in our homes, we have piles of digital junk everywhere. Perhaps you are one of these digital hoarders?
I was jogging on the treadmill, mind blank, when I glanced at the wall in front of me. It was full of posters from the UFC, but one part caught my eye. In the middle of all these posters, there was a large white text which read “Live On”.
“What does Live On mean?“, I asked myself, until I realized that it was just a part of “Live on pay-per-view” as this was a promotional poster.
The day has just started and I already feel tired. As I sip my morning coffee and the haze begins to dissipate, I think of the day ahead. The things I have to do. Work, study, chores, and responsibilities. The list goes on.
To organize my day I write a checklist of the things I need to do. It felt good to cross out each task as the day went on. But after a while I came to a dreadful realization: not only do I struggle to finish everything, but my checklist becomes longer and longer.
The world is a much smaller place than it was decades ago, and instant, worldwide communication is easier than before. Opportunities are now open for people all over the world. One of the unintended consequences though is its effect on our mental health. Stress and anxiety levels are high not just in adults, but increasingly in younger people as well.
One serious consequence of this stress is a phenomenon called burnout. In this state, you feel constantly exhausted, lack all motivation to work or think, and constantly experience negative feelings or emotions. This is the result when stress and anxiety isn’t managed or relieved over a period of time.