Why do we rush ourselves to reach goals while sacrificing our own happiness and health? Is all this preparation for the ‘future’ really worth the stress of ‘now’?

When quarantine first began, all structure and normality suddenly ceased. I no longer attended school in person, and instead had to adapt to online schooling for my final semester. As the physical world became closed off, the only access to human contact left became social media. And with this, I was able to stay in touch with friends and loved ones, as well as stay up to date with the circumstances of others all around the world. Before quarantine, social media was already a large consumer of my time, but now that all other distractions were gone… let’s just say my screen time spiked.

At first, everything seemed to slow down. We were given a break, the message of “we will get through these unprecedented times together” was spread over all platforms. Many influencers came out with messages telling everyone that “it’ll be okay,” and that this was our chance to “sit back and relax at home.” And, that is what many people did. A lot of people began posting onto their social media about new hobbies they’ve picked up or rekindled thanks to their newly gained free-time. Students, no longer needing to cram for their tests or stay up until 3:00 am doing their last minute projects, could now transition their time into grinding video games and staying up until 3:00 am texting friends. 

While some viewed this sudden change to be shocking, we can’t deny that the break we got was indeed necessary. Well, at least for how long it lasted. Like many others who obsess over the future, fear the concept of wasting time or opportunities, and have a constant voice in their head telling them that they need to maximize every chance they have to get ahead and improve themselves, my mental break did not last long. What should have been a time to relax and take it easy, quickly developed into an anxious fear for many, including myself. 

“What should I be doing right now to prepare myself for the future? Should I be relaxing right now? I could use this opportunity to get ahead in work! I need to study something or else I’ll fall behind. Everyone is picking up a hobby, what am I doing? I’ll be so behind if I can’t learn anything now. This is a world-wide pandemic, the first of it’s kind, I need to do something to be remembered! History is being written right now, what can I do to contribute to the advancements of the world?”

And just like that, the break we were finally given was gone. We returned back into the stressful cycle of rushing to achieve our goals, to prepare for the unknown future. Rushing to get a head start, to prove to yourself your own worth. The race was back on; Who could get ahead of the crowd this time?

But why do we do this? During the current times, where everyone is so hooked onto social media, we are constantly able to see the lives of others. While it’s a wonderful way to connect, it isn’t all just fun and games. If we’re always seeing the success of others, especially those around our age or younger, we become pressured. Why don’t I have the success that she has? Why aren’t I as talented as him? Aren’t we the same age, am I behind right now? These thoughts plague and pressure us. What is our worth if not for our contributions during our time on earth? If I don’t gain x amount of followers before x date… If I can’t graduate with x grades, what’s the point?

So many times I have seen my friends, my classmates, and myself personally, stay up far past midnight and into the morning studying. So many times I have watched my friends sacrifice their own health to see through the completion of a project. So many times, I have seen the people I care for destroy their own mental and physical health in order to rush towards their goals. And each time all I wish is to spread a single message to them. 

Why rush?

What is forcing us to rush? We’ve been conditioned our whole lives that ‘productivity’ equaints to worth, but where’s the enjoyment if all we do is stress? We’re simply racing against our own selves, sacrificing our own health and happiness for no reason at all. Slow down a bit. Your goal, your dreams, they aren’t going anywhere. Whether it be now or later, you can make it. Take care of yourself and slow down. There’s no need to rush, you can do this.