We Aren’t Machines
Several months ago, I listened to an episode of the BeWILDered podcast with Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan (Apple podcast link) where they addressed this internal and external pressure a lot of us (if not all of us) feel to continually produce and deliver meaningful contributions in a steady cadence. Since then, I can’t stop noticing this tendency in my own life.
I was subscribing (and sometimes still get sucked back into) to this idea that I need to do ALL the things, ALL the time. Especially as a woman, there’s this pressure to prove my worth by being the most PERFECT friend, partner, teacher, boss, employee, sister, daughter, dog mom, chef and house cleaner. If I drop the ball on one of these, I have failed today.
There has been such great freedom in realizing:
We aren’t meant to be conveyer belts of productivity.
We aren’t a cog in the wheel of our Capitalist society.
We aren’t built like the Energizer Bunny.
WE AREN’T FREAKING MACHINES.
We are mammals, with cycles of energy that wax and wane like the moon, like the waves, like all cyclical patterns in nature. Our energy levels ebb and flow throughout each day, week, month and year (regardless of our biology). It is not a coincidence that we have less “get-up-and-go” in the Winter months than in the Summer. This is BY DESIGN and how magical would it be if we honored these patterns rather than fighting against them?
Our society has conditioned us to believe that our value is related to our productivity, especially at work. We have been made to believe we are only as valuable as what we produce - Thanks, Capitalism. This is bunch of BS. Regardless of what we have been led to believe, our value is inherent. Each living being is valuable, and just as valuable as the next, because we are living embodiments of the Divine. And what matters so much more than how much we contribute to our economy is how we treat one another, how much compassion we show each other and ourselves, and how we support one another in pursuit of the common good.
So I’ve changed some things, especially in my 8-5 job, which, let’s be real, is more like an 8-5:30 job (+ some evenings and weekends). I have SLOWED THE EFF DOWN quite a bit, physically and mentally. I have given myself permission to not rush, to not get swept up in the hustle (as much, lol). I allow myself to miss those non-essential meetings - “I have a conflict and will not be in attendance. Looking forward to seeing your recap notes.” I have stopped expecting my team to maintain unwavering levels of engagement and productivity. It’s simply not sustainable.
It’s complicated (like most things) because we can’t ignore the fact that humans thrive when we have a sense of purpose - that we are contributing to our society somehow in a meaningful way. This has been proven to be an essential component of finding fulfillment in life. And yet, this fulfillment can be quickly negated by the internal and external pressure to be a robot of productivity. So like SO many things, it comes down to balance. And a true recognition of our humanity - we are energetic beings with ebbs and flows, which deserve to be deeply honored.
My deep hope is that our society begins to see this soon, especially for the sake of those who struggle to make ends meet on a regular basis despite working their tails off. How are we all supposed to thrive collectively when so many folks are struggling? Our expectations of ourselves and one another really need to change. Because this system and hustle culture can only continue for so long before we all crumble under the pressure.
I am grateful for this awareness and for the immense privilege to make some of these changes. May you also be supported in embracing your energetic cycles, and may this be extended to those around you, as well.
