look, i love that the studyblr community is so encouraging! everyone here wants everyone else to do their best, and that’s wonderful to see. but the focus on challenges like 100 days of productivity isn’t always as productive as you think, so here are three reasons i’ve decided to stop - plus some alternatives you can try!
1. not everyone’s honest with it!
of course everything you see on this website is curated to show the “best” possible situation - i do it myself! but i’ve spoken to so many people who felt so pressured to produce something every single day that they’d just lay out all their rewritten notes at the weekend and take seven sets of photos so that they could keep up with the challenge. now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that - everyone’s entitled to post what they want on their own blog, after all. but that sets a benchmark that just isn’t realistic to follow.
instead, try: being open about your blog!
if you’re worried about spreading a false image of yourself, show people what actually goes into your posts! for example, this “aesthetic” post that i made has hundreds of notes, but in reality? it’s staged for the #studyspo look. posting things like this makes me feel less “fake” about arranging my photos. especially as someone with a lot of younger people following me, i’m working on being more honest about what goes on “behind the scenes”!
some people can work constantly for 100 days straight, and my hats go off to them. but for most of us mere mortals, working so hard for so long will lead to burnout. trying to work without any kind of break or relief for over three months just isn’t healthy - you need to let yourself be human! this goes double if you’re making the studyspo-type notes that are popular here - you can’t spend every single day of your life striving to reach an unrealistic aesthetic.
instead, try: giving yourself days off!
if you still desperately want to do 100 days, give yourself five or six days a week to work and one or two off. you’ll still get to that 100 day milestone, but you won’t have to sacrifice your mental or physical health to do it.
sometimes you’re not in a place to work. maybe you’re going through a rough relationship, or your pet is sick, or you’re getting over an illness. either way, the 100 days mentality can make it seem like you have to work even when this happens. that’s not a healthy mindset, and you shouldn’t force yourself to do that. sometimes work can help you distract yourself from these things, but that doesn’t always mean it’s a good idea.
instead, try: 100 days of intention!
tumblr user @maryplethora came up with a fantastic alternative to the 100 days of productivity challenge, called 100 days of intention or 100 intentional things. the basic concept is doing something that will benefit you for 100 days as opposed to studying all the time. this is a far healthier way of motivating yourself, and recognises that not all of life should focus on your studies!
* of course, not everyone has this experience! however, these are the reasons that i personally found it unhelpful after a time. everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, and you’re more than welcome to tag me in any responses you might have!
snowghoul
jacobvanloon
yousharknotpass
kianamaiart
andulkaphoto
