You’re worth so much more than your productivity

Apr 14

[Healing is the Best Revenge is a podcast for survivors and the folks who love us to discuss healing, life with C-PTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder), survivorship, self + community care, and more. I offer affirmations, pep talks, encouragement, support, and shares about being in the messy murky middle of healing from trauma. This is a transcript of episode 29: “You’re worth so much more than your productivity.”]

Healing is the Best Revenge is a one-person production, created and sponsored by yours truly. Have you checked out my shop? I sell zines on topics like healing, trauma recovery, friendship, disability, affirmations, as well as stickers, prints, and pins! If you love this show, you’ll enjoy “Affirmations for Disabled Babes” which is a colorful zine full of anti-ableist affirmations for disabled folks. Click to link in the show notes or go to karinahagelin.etsy.com. Now, onto today’s episode.

Hi babe, Karina here. Today has been another gray, rainy but warm day here in Ithaca. I’m grateful I was able to take Chickpea, Boo, and Cashew out on the catio for a bit of fresh air. Yesterday, I shared a vulnerable post on Instagram, inspired by the “Social media is fake; here are some things I’m struggling with” trend. I talked about CPTSD, chronic illness, isolation, loneliness, and such. I’m really grateful I was brave enough to share it because it led to some really wonderful local connections that I feel hopeful and excited about.

Today’s episode is an affirming pep talk on productivity with some journaling prompts and a recommended resource as well. Let’s get into it!

Sweet friend, you’re worth so much more than your productivity. Your work doesn’t determine your worth; you are inherently worthy. You deserve all the things you need to thrive - community, care, love, financial security, health care, and so on - regardless of your ability to work under the constraints of late-stage capitalism. I know this can be really hard; I’ve struggled with divesting my self-worth from my productivity as well - but the process of detaching my work from my worth has been so helpful and healing.

To offer some support with this process, I created a few journaling prompts to help you imagine a life, your life, outside of and beyond productivity.

What communities am I a part of? What roles do I play?
What are my core values?
What brings me joy, makes me laugh, and/or inspires me?
How would I introduce myself to someone new, describing what I do, without mentioning anything related to my work or career?
How can I add more play into my life? What types of play feel good and generative to me?
What impact do I want to have? What do I want my legacy to be?
How would my friends describe me?
What activities and/or practices help me feel restored, relaxed, and even rejuvenated?
What does my ideal day look like? What does my ideal week look like?
Write a list of 10 ways to say “no.”
What do I contribute to the people and places I care about? How do I practice community care? What skills do I have already? What ones do I want to nurture?

I hope these journaling prompts are supportive for you in your journey. If you’d like a written list of these journaling prompts, you can check out the transcript of this episode on my blog, which is linked in the show notes.

I’m excited to share a resource on rethinking productivity too! Dr. Kate Henry is an independent scholar and productivity coach specializing in sustainable and well-being-oriented productivity AKA slow productivity. Her blog, the Tending Year, is a rich, expansive, and incredible resource on rethinking productivity through the lens of slow living. I’ve found her work especially helpful as a disabled and chronically ill babe. Kate also shares a lot of helpful information and resources via her newsletter, Tending with Dr. Kate Henry, which is one of my favorite reads. I’ve included links to her blog and newsletter in the episode description for you.

Finally, before I go, I want ask for your help in getting this podcast to more folks who need it. Here are a few simple and easy ways to support this show: