You're articulating something sharp here: how tightly productivity has fused with affect, and how “feeling productive” now governs so much of how we decide what counts, even at rest.
On your mention of habit trackers and bullet journaling, I've been exploring something adjacent and inverted: a “To-Feel List.” The aim is to:
1) debunk the internalized logic of those habits,
2) while subtly redirecting their structure toward something more emotionally and psychologically coherent.
It avoids alienating those already immersed in these systems while gently displacing their foundations. Something like to a subversive reappropriation.
It borrows the same mechanics—regular notation, anchored attention—but orients around what registered relationally. What surfaced. What nearly formed. To acknowledge, more than to process, and rather than to improve. It’s more difficult than I expected; the reflex to extract meaning kicks in fast.
In any case, your piece opened up space to keep questioning the foundations of these internal systems.
Helena!! This floored me, and you're so right. I definitely feel that there is no longer any end to the work day. Every minute of my days--including my weekends--there is that creeping feeling that I should be being productive, doing more than I'm doing. In the last year, I have attempted to be more deliberate about protecting leisure, but it feels depressing that I have to build leisure into my schedule as another to-do list item if I want to experience it, rather than it being the natural thing one does at the end of the day and the end of the week. Fascinating exploration!
I love this. You’re right. We’re losing the right to “meaningful” leisure. The days I spend scrolling I feel awful. But I also don’t want to engage in my “meaningful” side hobbies to feel productive. Maybe we should just throw our phones in the river and do a reset.
Oh this was great! Makes me think a lot about where social reproduction & labour in the “home” space comes into it too. Labour-saving tech innovations creating more work either by de-professionalising it or by raising standards! Cleanliness as proof of productivity! Idk I’m brain foggy to be as articulate as these other lovely comments but so much to chew on here, so fab!
Scrolling lives in between tasks and has no end. This are two dangerous characteristics. Choosing two watch a movie or read this article are active decisions, while scrolling is passive. I can see how the active decision makes us feel better than just the passive consumption.
I articulated to myself a few years ago how yucky it felt that I was consistently evaluating whether my days were “productive” or not. Thank you for putting out such a well researched and smart analysis on the subject.
Helena as always this is so incredibly articulate and thought-provoking and intelligent! You've captured our current situation so perfectly and I really share that fear
Yes! I’ve found his work super thought provoking (as a good Foucauldian). I do see a lot of people online say his thought is often inconsistent and overly popular though, but I don’t have a philosophy background so I like how accessible his work is.
Holy shit this essay was excellent and took me back to what I was learning in university nearly a decade ago, when this was really just starting to ramp up..and look at us now! I think about this all the time, especially the labor we put into these tech platforms (including substack) having us do the work for them to make money :’) it’s a wild word out here 🙃
You're articulating something sharp here: how tightly productivity has fused with affect, and how “feeling productive” now governs so much of how we decide what counts, even at rest.
On your mention of habit trackers and bullet journaling, I've been exploring something adjacent and inverted: a “To-Feel List.” The aim is to:
1) debunk the internalized logic of those habits,
2) while subtly redirecting their structure toward something more emotionally and psychologically coherent.
https://frenchconnections.substack.com/p/a-humane-way-of-connecting-the-dots?utm_source=publication-search
It avoids alienating those already immersed in these systems while gently displacing their foundations. Something like to a subversive reappropriation.
It borrows the same mechanics—regular notation, anchored attention—but orients around what registered relationally. What surfaced. What nearly formed. To acknowledge, more than to process, and rather than to improve. It’s more difficult than I expected; the reflex to extract meaning kicks in fast.
In any case, your piece opened up space to keep questioning the foundations of these internal systems.
Helena!! This floored me, and you're so right. I definitely feel that there is no longer any end to the work day. Every minute of my days--including my weekends--there is that creeping feeling that I should be being productive, doing more than I'm doing. In the last year, I have attempted to be more deliberate about protecting leisure, but it feels depressing that I have to build leisure into my schedule as another to-do list item if I want to experience it, rather than it being the natural thing one does at the end of the day and the end of the week. Fascinating exploration!
I love this. You’re right. We’re losing the right to “meaningful” leisure. The days I spend scrolling I feel awful. But I also don’t want to engage in my “meaningful” side hobbies to feel productive. Maybe we should just throw our phones in the river and do a reset.
Oh this was great! Makes me think a lot about where social reproduction & labour in the “home” space comes into it too. Labour-saving tech innovations creating more work either by de-professionalising it or by raising standards! Cleanliness as proof of productivity! Idk I’m brain foggy to be as articulate as these other lovely comments but so much to chew on here, so fab!
Yes! Esp when the presentation of the self gets tied up with labour whole new sorts of social reproduction emerge I think. We should discuss irl
Yes we should! Kate & Eleanor had a lot to say on this the other day too (of course!!)
Hivemind
Divas assemble!
Endgame Capitalism is a helluva a drug.
love your pieces - just wondered do u not think reaction videos and the like counts as content that shows the consumption of content?
Ooh!! That’s such a great point I hadn’t thought of! Will have to think about this.
Oh man: I had never contemplated that this aspect constituted part of the hellscape of our lives…
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this
Scrolling lives in between tasks and has no end. This are two dangerous characteristics. Choosing two watch a movie or read this article are active decisions, while scrolling is passive. I can see how the active decision makes us feel better than just the passive consumption.
I articulated to myself a few years ago how yucky it felt that I was consistently evaluating whether my days were “productive” or not. Thank you for putting out such a well researched and smart analysis on the subject.
A book that elaborated the intersections of this piece: How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Oddell.
Added to the tbr!
Helena as always this is so incredibly articulate and thought-provoking and intelligent! You've captured our current situation so perfectly and I really share that fear
Thank you ! 💓
Good stuff, Helena, as always. I wonder if you've ready any Byung-Chul Han ("The Burnout Society" especially)?
Yes! I’ve found his work super thought provoking (as a good Foucauldian). I do see a lot of people online say his thought is often inconsistent and overly popular though, but I don’t have a philosophy background so I like how accessible his work is.
Hell yeah. It's certainly not rigorous philosophy but I'd say it's too relevant and too full of good ideas to care!
Have you read Pieper’s Leisure: the Basis of Culture? This was an excellent essay , I’m keeping it saved for future reference
reading this and then ticking read substack articles off my todo list... uhhh
Holy shit this essay was excellent and took me back to what I was learning in university nearly a decade ago, when this was really just starting to ramp up..and look at us now! I think about this all the time, especially the labor we put into these tech platforms (including substack) having us do the work for them to make money :’) it’s a wild word out here 🙃