On Productivity in a Pandemic

By  Arhon Strauss ’23

Most Exonians have sat back and done nothing at some point. Games, shows and movies allow us to relax and entertain oursvelves, to tune out politics, work or school. But is relaxing actually helpful? Is a reprieve from the world what we need right now? Last year, I wrote an article arguing that we should use quarantine to relax. However, the current situation is much different than it was then. 

Quarantine has lasted around six months. For six months, we have been inside and the lack of productivity, which I thought was helpful last spring, has become a curse. The monotony of each day has degraded free time’s relaxing effect, transforming it into boredom. There is so much time with so little to do. As such, games, shows and movies are no longer a break from stress, but rather time fillers which serve no real purpose. 

Activities such as games, shows and movies are never going to be productive. In fact, they are recreational because they only need to be enjoyable. Yet, they are still a vital part of our lives. In the right doses, they can give time to reset, which can increase productivity later. 

However, there is a point where entertainment morphs from a temporary reprieve to a distraction from life. In our normal lives, we limit these activities through productivity, which quarantine has restricted. We are unable to go places, explore new interests and meet new people. Thus, with less to do, unproductive activities become more attractive and common. Breaks, even long breaks, may be good for us in the long term, but I have noticed myself and people around me becoming too invested in gaming, shows or other forms of entertainment. What should we do then?

I think it is critical we seek out new interests to help us learn, grow and remain active. It can feel easier to simply sink further into old activities. The familiar is usually easier to grapple with—especially in a trying time like quarantine, which pushes the bounds of our perseverance and mental fortitude. People are usually social creatures, so this time has been hard for our society as a whole. The economic and health repercussions of the current situation have only exasperated the present circumstances. It is tempting to do familiar activities, to just sit back and watch some Netflix, to do nothing. Nevertheless, it is even more important to stay productive because of the present situation.

Exeter’s campus offers a host of opportunities during quarantine. Each Exonian has a chance to meet new people and search for different activities they are passionate about. Our classes, clubs, sports and campus allow us to be relatively safe while branching out, a luxury many people do not have right now. Yet, many of us get caught up in our dorm rooms instead of using the opportunities we have here.

So, heading into winter term, we need to make a conscious effort to utilize the options Exeter presents. It may be harder than before because of the weather, but, in order to maintain our ability to be productive, exploring new opportunities is going to be more important than ever. We should all make an active attempt to get off Youtube or Netflix and go outside, walk around and find new activities we can enjoy, activities in which we are productive.