Hamster in the Wheel
My alarm woke me up at 6 a.m ā±ļø
Itās exam seasonā¦
The familiar ritual unfolded: eyes rubbed, body stretched. Yet again, the dayās burden pressed in.
Stumbling into the kitchen, a zombie on autopilot. I caught my reflection in the bedroom mirror. The face staring back was a mask of exhaustion and despair (ć£- āø ā Ļ)
Where did the carefree girl I once was vanish to? The one who roamed the sun-drenched landscapes of Djerba, heart full of dreams and pockets filled with pebbles. I remember the intoxicating scent of jasmine, the taste of sweet oranges, and the endless hours lost in the pages of a book. Life was a grand adventure, a mystery to be unraveled with every turning page. Now, itās a relentless march towards an undefined finish line, a pursuit of accomplishments that seem to evaporate as soon as theyāre grasped.
Somewhere along the winding path of life, the vibrant hues of joy and wonder began to fade. A relentless undercurrent of anxiety replaced them, a constant pressure to outrun time. Iād fallen prey to the seductive lie that worth was measured by output, that busyness was a badge of honor. Now, as dawn painted the sky, I stood in stark realization of the toll this relentless pursuit had taken.
Iām far from alone in this relentless pursuit of productivity. Countless individuals are trapped in this illusory chase, forever striving for an unreachable ideal. Weāve perversely transformed busyness into a status symbol, a badge worn with pride šļø, as if constant stress and overwork were virtues to be celebrated.
Our society is addicted to productivity. From the piercing alarm that heralds a new day to the final, exhausted collapse into bed, weāre trapped in a relentless cycle of doing, achieving, and consuming. Success is equated with speed, output, and efficiency. But this relentless pursuit of more is a hollow victory, a hamster wheel of dissatisfaction. Itās eroding our humanity, our happiness, and our sense of self.
Iāve been caught in a perpetual state of limbo. Between projects, exams, Uni, job, and lifeās next chapter, I oscillate between frantic productivity and unsettling emptiness. This relentless pursuit of doing more has become a suffocating norm. Conditioned to rise with the sun, consume caffeine, and dive headfirst into a maelstrom of meetings, emails, and expectations, Iāve lost sight of what truly fulfills me. Days bleed into nights, filled with a hollow sense of achievement, leaving me more depleted than when I started.
This isnāt an isolated struggle. The same weary expressions, the same relentless pace, are mirrored in the faces of those around me. Weāre all trapped in a collective pursuit of an unattainable ideal, in the matrix, sacrificing our humanity in the process. Creativity stifled, empathy eroded, connection lost ā these are the casualties of our productivity obsession.
The cult of productivity is a pernicious lie. It measures our worth by output, by the length of our to-do lists. But life is a tapestry woven with threads of joy, connection, and reflection ā not merely a checklist of accomplishments.
When weāre so focused on being productive, we lose sight of what matters. We become disconnected from ourselves and each other. We forget how to simply be present in the moment, how to savour the beauty and richness of life. In the end, we find ourselves feeling desolate and unfulfilled, despite any and all that weāve achieved. And then what happens? We look to Instagram gurus, yoga teachers and motivational speakers for that missing spark, and they sell us another solution, which adds more to our to-do list. When we inevitably fail to ālive, laugh, loveā we go into a downward spiral of self-loathing and feelings of uselessness and regret.
What makes it worse is the flood of influencers bragging about their hyper-productive days. They claim to wake up at 3 a.m., down a protein shake, hit the gym for two hours, shower, have breakfast, work six hours at the office, tackle private projects, go out with friends, attend a party, then return home to write, edit videos, plan the next day, read a book, watch a film, and finally, sleep. Bro, thatās a monthās worth of plans for me, and youāre telling me thatās your daily routine? How am I supposed to feel about myself? Youāre not motivating me ā youāre drowning me in toxic vibes!
You donāt need to burn the midnight oil to prove your dedication. Your worth isnāt measured by how early you rise or how late you stay up. Your value as a human being extends far beyond your job title or bank account. Itās time to prioritize rest, recharge, and simply being. Your body, mind, and soul deserve a break.
You are enough, exactly as you are. Your journey is unique, and your pace is perfect. Thereās no right or wrong timeline; youāre precisely where you need to be į„«į”.