Ideas to stop procrastinating and build a better, more decent life
Do you procrastinate? Two extremes: sleeping 14 hours for 15 minutes of focus, or working 16 hours non-stop. The debate over whether productivity is possible or a consumerist trap.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Quitting procrastination? The new luxury of the middle class
Sleeping 14 hours to get 15 minutes of concentration. Or working 16 hours a day without being able to stop. Two extremes that illustrate the productivity paradox in today's society. A recent debate has pitted those who believe the solution lies in discipline and nature against those who argue that the obsession with being productive is a consumerist trap.
The myth of self-diagnosed ADHD
On one side, a group is clamoring for a real medical diagnosis. They point out that in Spain it is nearly impossible to get treatment for adult ADHD, while antidepressants are prescribed like candy. Medication such as methylphenidate (Rubifen 5mg) is tightly controlled, and those who get it do so almost through smuggling. Against this, others argue that rumination and procrastination are universal, not a disorder. "It's not because you're so special," goes the argument, and the proposed solution is a return to basics: nature, silence, and zero screens.
Consuming advice: the productivity industry
It's ironic that the debate unfolds in a responsible-consumption subforum. Methods like Pomodoro, GTD, yoga, running have all been tried... and nothing works. The supply of solutions is endless: from forest bathing to reward notebooks. But someone hits the nail on the head: "Why do you want to be productive? The goal should be to be at peace and do whatever you feel like without feeling guilty." Life, according to this view, is a pathetic routine of work, food, and distractions. There is no transcendence.
The alternative: giving up or changing your life
The discussion reveals a generational and lifestyle divide. Someone living in Malasaña (Madrid) cannot afford a one-hour walk to the Retiro park because tendinitis prevents it. Meanwhile, the one who retreats to a house in the mountains claims everything is solved without TV or cheap stimuli. The city and technology are the enemy, but also the forced habitat of most people.
There is no consensus. Perhaps procrastination is not an individual problem but a sensible response to an environment that demands meaningless productivity. Meanwhile, some sleep 14 hours to scrape together 15 minutes of attention, and others cannot stop working 16. The middle-class luxury is no longer leisure, but the ability to concentrate.
Related debates in the forum
Sleeping 14 hours to get 15 minutes of concentration. Or working 16 hours a day without being able to stop. Two extremes that illustrate the productivity paradox in today's society. A recent debate has pitted those who believe the solution lies in discipline and nature against those who argue that the obsession with being productive is a consumerist trap.
The myth of self-diagnosed ADHD
On one side, a group is clamoring for a real medical diagnosis. They point out that in Spain it is nearly impossible to get treatment for adult ADHD, while antidepressants are prescribed like candy. Medication such as methylphenidate (Rubifen 5mg) is tightly controlled, and those who get it do so almost through smuggling. Against this, others argue that rumination and procrastination are universal, not a disorder. "It's not because you're so special," goes the argument, and the proposed solution is a return to basics: nature, silence, and zero screens.
Consuming advice: the productivity industry
It's ironic that the debate unfolds in a responsible-consumption subforum. Methods like Pomodoro, GTD, yoga, running have all been tried... and nothing works. The supply of solutions is endless: from forest bathing to reward notebooks. But someone hits the nail on the head: "Why do you want to be productive? The goal should be to be at peace and do whatever you feel like without feeling guilty." Life, according to this view, is a pathetic routine of work, food, and distractions. There is no transcendence.
The alternative: giving up or changing your life
The discussion reveals a generational and lifestyle divide. Someone living in Malasaña (Madrid) cannot afford a one-hour walk to the Retiro park because tendinitis prevents it. Meanwhile, the one who retreats to a house in the mountains claims everything is solved without TV or cheap stimuli. The city and technology are the enemy, but also the forced habitat of most people.
There is no consensus. Perhaps procrastination is not an individual problem but a sensible response to an environment that demands meaningless productivity. Meanwhile, some sleep 14 hours to scrape together 15 minutes of attention, and others cannot stop working 16. The middle-class luxury is no longer leisure, but the ability to concentrate.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (23 replies).
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