We’re never still. In the age of maximizing productivity and “the grind don’t stop even if you do,” society at large has been taken over by this hustle culture. And though not necessarily a bad thing, sometimes the “hustle” can take over and cause you to be in a constant movement, skipping by the things and the people that make you happy.

When was the last time you took a pause and were still? No, I’m not talking about physical stillness, because if you’re like me, a constant and infamous fidgeter, total stillness is a seemingly impossible state. I’m talking about the stillness where you weren’t working, or hurrying to your next class or task. Where you weren’t trying to make the deadline that you procrastinate for or cramming for your English test in five minutes. You might think of a time when you were eating or watching a movie, but even then, were you still?

You probably weren’t. You might have been scrolling through Instagram, liking a post like a well-calculated robot, or opening Snaps mindlessly. We all do it. Social media is accessible, doesn’t take much brain power, and is an easy way to combat boredom or hinder stillness. Though social media is usually a very low stimulator of the brain, it still stimulates it. Scrolling through TikTok might end up taking you to and through a rabbit hole you never knew existed.

But social media isn’t the one culprit or even the main one. With most things being digitalized, you can complete your work online, whenever you want, wherever you want. For example, vacation: a time with your family and/or friends, where you are supposed to be relaxing and overall “vacationing.” A time to be still. Well, according to CBS News in 2018 “Roughly 56% of workers surveyed . . . said they touch base with work when they’re supposed to be taking a vacation,” up from 2016. So why can’t we be still?

There is always something to do, somewhere to be, or work to get done. That’s the message that society and, on a much smaller scale, our community tell us. We could always be hanging out with our friends and, if all plans fail or get cancelled, scrolling through social media to see what everybody else is doing. And this constant “motion” can get tiring, because life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. And sometimes you need to pace yourself, take a breather, and pause. Pause from it all. This is not to say that we need to pause all the time. Because, let’s be frank, playing is sometimes way more fun.

Source:

“Can’t Stop: Most Americans Work on Vacation.” CBS News, May 29 2018. www.cbsnews.com/news/most-americans-work-on-vacation/.