Productivity & Ableism
From 2022
Being “productive” in a general sense is obviously not an inherently bad thing. There are some things we need to get done whether we want to or not, and crossing tasks off a to-do list can make us feel good. Our society’s obsession with productivity, that makes us believe rest and leisure are bad things, is an unhealthy one that can easily veer into ableism.
I have a feeling a lot of people can relate to this, disabled or not: when I feel sick or I’m in a flare or just generally not okay, and I’m unable to be productive as a result, I feel guilty and bad about myself. This comes from things I’ve been taught throughout my lifetime, by peers and educators and so on as well as society in general. Those messages have made a lasting impact on all of us. But awareness, while important, doesn’t make these messages and their impact go away. I feel it even as I’m telling myself it’s important to rest when you aren’t feeling well.
Chronically ill and disabled people tend to feel this “I’m not being productive enough” guilt often, because the nature of our conditions typically mean we spend quite a bit of time not feeling well and having trouble being as productive as we want to be as a result. It’s frustrating, and it can make you blame yourself or your illness when we should be blaming a society that makes us feel like we have to be productive in order to be worthy. On top of our own guilt, we may be accused of being lazy or even faking our condition to get out of doing things. This is extremely ableist and yet another way the obsession with “productivity” actively hurts disabled people.
It’s also true that many disabled people cannot work. They may be on disability or get some help from another source. They are often accused of being lazy as a result of this. This also shows how much our culture’s obsession with productivity can easily turn into ableism. We should not be so obsessed with productivity that we make others feel bad about not being able to work. There is nothing bad, wrong, or shameful about being unable to work for any reason.
One lasting impact I’ve felt from being a disabled person growing up in a society like ours is constantly feeling like I need to be “productive” in some way in order to prove myself — whether to others or just to myself. I feel a need to prove that I’m not “lazy” like ableist people may think I am when I’m unable to get much done due to chronic illness. It’s exhausting and leads to feelings of guilt that are completely unwarranted, because none of us can truly live up to the standards we set for ourselves as a result of the obsession with productivity.
This obsession with productivity harms everyone, not just disabled people. But the emotional wounds it leaves disabled people with — when we are already devalued by society — are especially painful. Humans have value whether they’re working and getting things done all the time or not. Rest is important, whether you’re dealing with chronic illness or overworked or not. Disabled people shouldn’t be made to feel like they need to prove themselves to anyone who has bought into the myth that productivity and work are the most important things in life. And everyone else should work on unlearning this toxic mindset that makes all of us miserable.