why everything I knew about productivity is wrong… & what’s the way forward 

Slow productivity means I'm taking baby steps to be who/where I want to be. Even if it's a baby step, it's still a step and I'll still reach my destination...eventually.

I love that you’re always trying to evolve and find a better system for you and your current needs. It’s not easy to adjust but I love how open you are about it 💛

1 calendar blocking 2 minimize distraction 3 find productivity apps 4 find a routine 5 embrace stillness 6 value deep rest

I am so happy more people are speaking up against the productivity rush on a deeper level. It is so crazy how we have all collectively been brainwashed into thinking we can make the most of our lives by just trying to fit as much work as possible in the time that we have on earth 🙃 Really hope a societal shift is coming and we will start valuing relaxation, joy and genuine connection more

I remember going “slow living” last year and again going “full speed” last three months .. personally I feel there’s always going to be certain pace needed from us through life .. so we have to balance when it’s go go time and when it’s very slow slow time… I hope that made sense lol ☺️💜

You are CHERISHED 💜

For me, a big part of slow living is acknowledging that we can't do this alone. Something I've noticed about productivity rhetoric - even within your videos - is that it's so hyper-individualised. It's all about personal goals and how you spend your personal time to get work done, so that cultivating relationships becomes just one of the things you have to fit into your life. But humans are essentially social creatures and we achieve, or more importantly, *live* more when we grow things together. (And actually I think that community can easily go beyond the human.) Since I've started focusing on cultivating my relationships to the people, beings, places around me, slowly and consciously instead of rushing things to be Productive or Valuable, I might not get as "much" done but hell, I am leaps and bounds happier. I think this is something particularly fruitful for me to think about because I'm an activist and surprisingly, that makes answering the question "what's important to you?" very difficult. There's the things I'm passionate about - music, writing, science fiction - and then there's the things I feel ethically obligated (but not in a bad way) to do - campaigning, studying and educating in environmental activism. Remembering that "i" am always a "we" doesn't simplify prioritising - quite the opposite in fact - but it does root me in a purpose that reminds me that "i" am both very small and very much more than just what this single human body can achieve in its lifetime.

rowena you came at the right time 😭 i just graduated high school and going into college and i’ve truly been reflecting (or overthinking really) about my future. i’ve been following you for so long, like a little sis listening to her older sis, and you’ve helped me all the time. this is such a great insight and analysis! love you, and will keep on living mindfully 💘

One quote that had always stuck with me from Gretchen Rubin’s book “The Happiness Project” is: “You can do anything you want, but not everything.”

I've been an avid viewer for a few years now and I remember, especially during the beginning of the pandemic, I went through a spiral of being obsessed with productivity. But what I have realized is that the problem is not productivity, but actually the neoliberal capitalist society we have to function in in order to survive. The emphasis on productivity is simply a system of this capitalistic system we live in that prioritizes outputs and demands labor and promotes exploitation. By understanding it is a systemic issue, and not simply the individual's fault or mindset, we can move beyond coming up with individualistic solutions and work towards creating a just society that prioritizes happiness and community well-being, etc.

I've been waiting for this moment for years :) I've followed you for a while and even though you presented insightful advice, I also felt you were on a full-speed ride to burnout. I saw you analysing every moment of your day and trying to optimise every second of it. It's amazing that you have such a strong will and discipline, but alas, we can't do anything without true rest. But don't worry! Your life until now was not wasted. Try to detach yourself from the idea that your life was not meaningful before, just because you still haven't had come to this conclusion. That's still a productivity-perfectionism type of thinking. Your life was what it was and now it is what it is and it will be what it will be. We all come to these key moments in our own time. And there's not a Before and After, there's no Slow Living Code you must crack. This transition is a journey that takes time... if it is ever over! And that's ok. I wish you lots of joy in this new slower, more grounded life you just unlocked.

Rowena, This video feels SO timely. I think about (my) mortality a lot and it tends to paralyze me; I'm also very anxious. The "zooming out/back in" exercise helped me put things in perspective/relax a bit. To me, slow productivity means giving yourself time to do things well--quality over quantity. I'm guilty of subscribing to the hustle culture mentality. I believe there is a time and place to hustle but definitely not 24/7/365. Over the last few years I've been trying to slow my life down but it's always felt so wrong. Like I should be doing more and no matter how much I do it never feels like enough, it's exhausting. I REALLY appreciate this video. I spend so much time in my head, asking myself ALL the existential questions. This video helped me learn/remember some important things, so thank you, thank you, thank you. Take good care (and anyone reading) 💛

Oh my goodness ... you are such an amazing ambassador of "personal limits" ... so many people are so "organized", but have not taken the time to "take care of themselves" ... LOVE your channel!!!

I think "slow productivity" has it's root in mindfulness and being present. The balance of life is not east to achieve but I find as a student that's recently graduated and not rushing 24/7 that making set time for stillness and being comfortable in that (and not guilty) allows for me to 1. Acknowledge that I'm only human and deserving of rest and 2. Allows me to fully tap in when it comes to creativity and work. I'm still working on it and a lot of the time I still feel those tense shoulders and sore back but hopefully I'll reach that balance and inner peace. ✨

I think you’d benefit from exploring and reading about stoicism! Very similar concepts ! Stoicism helped me come to terms with my own mortality and has a lot of similar self reflections. My favorite quote, from the book ‘How to Think Like a Roman Emperor’ is: “if it bothers me not that my body takes up a small amount of space, why should it bother me that my existence only takes up a small amount of time?” That quote made me put the book down and really put a lot of my life into perspective. Strongly recommend!

I am starting to realize being adult is mastering awareness, awareness of self , awareness of others and awareness of self with others. Thank you for this video ! I needed this.

I find this type of video to be very helpful in guiding my current mindset because I’ve found myself to be constantly on work mode all day long and ESPECIALLY when I’m supposed to be resting/on a break (kinda like rn). I hope that adding slow productivity in my life will help me to free up my mind and stop being so anxious about how I spend my time and the future.

I remember purchasing a copy of Carl Honore’s ‘In Praise of Slow’ 10 years ago, and it’s something I’ve held on to for quite some time. I’ve been putting so much pressure on myself lately and have been crashing down a lot. It’s great to be reminded again to slow down and focus on what’s truly important. Thank you for being you, Rowena 🦋

Ive worked in Production before and it was such a fast-paced environment and I did that for 6 years, as well as doing my creative work outside my 9-5. I was embodying hustle culture and I thought being a “hustler” = productive. Last year I was assigned in a much slower processing group in a sense that the work has to be slow and I noticed the change in my mindset overall where I need to take slow. I am now working in IT and my manager advised me to take my time to slow down and I am now applying this outside my work life. Rowena, you have been such an inspiration especially now that you spoke about this. I love you and thank you for shedding some light in what I believe is my journey to fulfilling my life 🧡

consistently having two 20 minute sessions for "productivity" a day has been enough to reach my goals

I'm not even gonna lie that I found you because of your productivity videos but the me from then and the me now are really different. I still like productivity but I'm starting to realize my non negotiables. You're one of my favorite youtubers and you have no idea how happy I am that you managed to like synthesize all this and make sense of things for me. You're amazing, Rowena. And yes like you said, let's grow together. I'm really happy for you on this journey you're on!

the concept of slow productivilty could be distilled from productivity tips and basics+ psychotherapy+buddism practics. it is so damn right you said about shortness of life.we should hold it in memory every time and be conscious in order to balance our goals and meaningful moments without pursuing smth.

Wow..thaaaaaaank you...I felt this way end of 2021 and have stopped , just put a hault on the way I used to function with all the todos and journals and habit trackers and calendars ughhh...I could go on, but it's so good to hear this...slow productivity!!🙂🙂

THIS. 🙌🏼 I am now implementing slow productivity in my work life. And personal life too. I was subconsciously sabotaging myself by trying to be the most efficient and hardest worker I could be. And I brought this mindset into my personal life activities too (i.e. gym, downtime, catching up with friends, spending time with my partner, etc.). I was overloading my schedule with all these things that I forgot to truly stop and take a break for myself - even my "downtime" felt like it was forced and rushed. It led to a breakdown. But then I had a breakthrough. Now I am seeing things more clearly and realising that I should take things slow.

This video was made so well but the 4,000 weeks perspective had sent me into an existential crisis realizing at only 24 over 1/4 of my weeks are over. Aging is so scary when you look back to the years before and we really do need to enjoy the days as they come.

Thank you for this video!!! So validating to see a step towards a new normal. This video reminded me of something from Tuesday's with Morrie "Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?"

I've stopped watching your videos and any other productivity videos like yours for a while now. I'm so happy so see this! As someone who could never be that productive person that you were able to be, I was lucky to learn to reject it. I'm still constantly working on rejecting that part of my brain where productivity is so ingrained. Now I say fuck productivity. It shouldn't be tied to your moral standard. If you ever feel like you're not productive enough, instead of trying to be more productive to meet that bar, try lowering your standard and just letting it be wherever you at. It's easier said than done because you will feel like you're supposed to feel guilty and need to remind yourself that you don't. The only way to really be happy is to be happy with how you are naturally. One way I think of it is that every time you try extra hard, you're borrowing energy. You can do that for a short period of time, but you need to pay it back. Trying hard everyday should not be the default. Maybe everyone in society can tell you what you do every day is not enough, but the fact is that your brain and body know what is enough for you everyday, and it's what you do naturally. So you actually don't need to try any harder to reach your full potential. I think people who are productive can't accept this because then that means their best isn't enough for their standards. That's why you have to lower your standards to meet your best instead of the opposite. Because your standards will continue to rise and rise but it will never fill the hole. If you're happy with what you do everyday, then you will always be enough and you could die fulfilled at any moment. Ofc that's the extreme version; I'm working on reaching a realistic version of that mindset.

just a few days ago, i was feeling so drained and i just couldnt make myself do anything. and i kept thinking maybe i need to take things slow, maybe running and achieving everything so fast just isnt for me, and today i came across this video.. 'slow productivity'. makes so much sense. thankyou !

I've always been the kinda person that loved to have things around me "in control", so that I can feel more settled and less stressed knowing that certain things were still in control. But ever since the pandemic hit, things around me just stopped and I found myself being unable to control things around me. And that drove me crazy, made me very unmotivated even. It's just funny how something that was so in order could collapse within a day. But I've been trying to search for the meaning of life lately, it's an endless search and often led myself to a depressed status. Then I realized I just couldn't be nice to myself. I'm still trying to relearn and love myself, though. I hope whoever is still struggling can one day find your way of stay motivated and love yourself. 💝

This has definitely been on my mind this season! Slow productivity to me, is being able to recognize the micro steps we take that push us forward, that still get things done, but not overwhelming ourselves or our bodies. Endlessly running at a fast pace is so exhausting & honestly feeling like no matter how quickly I move, there's always work to be done. I've been bringing in the practice of "slow productivity" to help with deconstructing my worth based on what I get done, but also to really lean into taking care of my mind & my body first.

Rowena, so good to see you! As soon as this video popped up I hoped you’d be including Four Thousand Weeks-it’s really shifting my mindset and attitude towards time and productivity. 📖 Having ADHD adds to my struggle for perfection, but also helps me live in the present! Here’s to accepting our limitations and choosing to move. 🥂

You always post videos when I need them most. Thank you for being you and continuing to grow yet staying so beautifully genuine. 💜💜💜

Slow productivity reasonates with me bc I am so resistant to the hurry up and do it now culture that slams me daily. I like to work in my own rhythm and to feel that process of creating and doing but often I am pushed towards mediocrity and I feel resentful and negative. Thanks for an awesome video. I’m going to follow your tips towards some zen peace.

thank you so much for this. i feel like this video comes across as a manifesto of how weird it was as a society to go through whatever these years’ been like and deal with hustle culture just the same as before

I love, love, love this! I’ve been trying to be productive in a healthier more balanced way for a little while now and it’s so amazing. It is hard to reprogram my mind with this new approach but I think it’s definitely worth it!

ngl i stopped watching u bc some of ur vids would stress me out/panic abt productivity but i came back to ur channel bc i needed some girl boss motivation and i’m rlly happy abt this new mindset

This was beautiful. Especially slow productivity, just not looking at your productivity from short frames but from longer frames. And the message at the end, living your life according to what your moment in time needs❤️

I love you 🤍 have been watching your videos from the beginning of this channel and now I’m really happy for you reaching this level of awareness and grateful that you always genuinely choose to share it with us Thanks from the heart

I’m really happy people are coming to this conclusion. I felt sad I couldn’t watch ur videos anymore cuz I would just keep going in that cycle. I’m really looking forward to watching your such well made videos again.

Rowena!! You put into words so many things I've been wrestling with lately, and why I always seemed to feel like I was falling short. Thank you for this video - so glad you got to unplug and enjoy these past few months

So glad to have you back here Rowena! Your productivity videos helped me finish my master's thesis and now I'm also at a point where I want to slow down and settle into a new pace as I'm transitioning into the workplace and side hustles. Your Notion templates about our 2022 plan has also been helpful in that process, as it helps to create systems around our priorities rather than just be productive to not feel guilty about procrastinating. Let's see what video you have in store for us next week!😁🤗

This is something that I thankfully learned while losing weight. Your system for losing weight needs to be slow and sustainable as a completely lifestyle shift, or you will burn out of it long before you reach your goals. Crash diets don't work and they will not make you feel good. People want quick fixes and think that they need to go hard to get something done, but you need to trust in your system. Understand that even if you don't see immediate results, you have put it in motion and progress is happening. It's tempting to always be looking for MORE that you can be doing, trying to fine tune everything and pile more and more tasks into your system, but you don't need to do everything in an arbitrarily *perfect* way. It only needs to be right for you at the time. I see this particularly when people try to overhaul their entire diet instead of changing it gradually and waiting for their tastes to change. Take things one step at a time, make it work for you, make it a habit, make it efficient, make it automatic. Don't try to do it all at once.

I just like you so much!xxx I first started following you as I was in search of more time for things that mean more to me. Always feel overloaded and overwhelmed. Slow productivity sounds like a forgiving concept. Going to give it a try.

I have watched your videos since I was in highschool. I remember being so motivated to do all the things. Work hard, be productive, and do the most. This idea of being productive became an obsession. I remember skipping Christmas with my family to work, or having lists that were piled high. I thought that was what I was supposed to do and who I was supposed to be. In time my life changed. I got married and I have two kids. What’s been interesting for me is noticing the fact that at this point in my life I have way more responsibility and more on my plate than ever before yet I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. This idea that women are supposed to work and climb the corporate ladder seems so good when you are young. But as I’ve been able to slow down and be with my family I’ve realized as a young woman I was sold this lie that a family and children aren’t as important as your job. Truthfully that’s not true. I’ve found from rewatching your videos that I feel more overwhelmed and more pushed into something or someone that I no longer what to be. I wonder if that’s why us as women who follow this productivity life and hustle culture seem to always have crashed and breakdowns. I don’t think this was the life meant for us.

I LOVE THIS. I was "planning the rest of the year" yesterday and this is exactly what I wrote down, you did a great job at explaining it and helping us find ways to actually embrace it.

I always appreciate your videos, no matter if it takes months to come out because you always have such insightful things to share. I've also been rethinking what productivity and time mean to me. There were some huge life plans that I expected to happen that fell through and it took a toll on my mental health, and maybe it's because society has told me that this plan should always work out, but that's not always the case. I was never a spiritual person or believed in divine plans, but this experience has truly made me question "maybe there is a divine plan for me?" Slow productivity, in this case, does mean allowing deep rest but embracing plans that may fall through because I'm working towards months or years of results.

I'm not gonna lie, I entirely forgot that I had subscribed to this channel, but this was definitely the video I needed to remind me of it. I can't wait to re-familiarize with some of these videos and try out & experiment with the tips and ideas you share, including the ones in this video 😊

I've noticed you are more at peace with yourself ❤ thank you for this video 🙏

I absolutely loved and needed this video. Thank you, Rowena! I constantly have to remind myself that productivity doesn’t only apply to getting work done but it’s also about making time for ourselves and what matters to us so that we can keep doing what we’re doing.

15:29 my mood on the end of this semester, literally before vacation, I barely organized anything and went along with homework as it came, wasn't in automatic but more like in a rushed dance that I had to finish without tripping. NOW that I'm on vacation, I want to do things more conciously.

I was feeling so anxious when I clicked on this. I just found your channel. the topic helped me so much & was very relatable. have a lovely day as you've made mine SO much better. I had to sub. xx

So we can all agree that Rowena is our spirit guide

I'm absolutely devastated that the Nap Ministry was not mentioned as a source of reference in this video!

we should do what's meaningful RIGHT NOW in stead of keeping putting out fire.because we always tell ourselves that after getting this thing done I will truly start my life.We cannot wait until life is fully under control before starting to do those truly meaningful things.

Thank you Rowena, I don't watch or follow many productivity channels, but yours stood out because your, coloring, pace, setting, and approach was so soothing and in flow, yet provided structure and guidance. I love the quote you share in the end and following your journey via youtube and instagram. thank you for sharing so many amazing resources. This video reminds me of the death practice i've been studying from some taoist practitioners, very much about facing mortality in the same way. it's really cool to see it intersect and as always I'm feeling encouraged and inspired by your content as always. wishing you many blessings on your journey and looking forward to your calendar-blocking video!

This really gave me some points to think about. You became my big sister for a moment there Ro! It felt like I was learning a lot from you! In the last few days I’ve been realising that I am capable of achieving anything that I set my mind to but I think this can be linked to the idea of slow productivity too. I think you can work on whatever you want to achieve but over a longer time period. Ngl, I’ve been stressed over the past couple of weeks because of uni and this video really made me stop and think. Over the past few months I’ve been trying to live in the moment more and sometimes I’ve been successful and other times I haven’t. I think my two problems are I make unrealistic to do lists and this puts pressure on myself. What slow productivity means to me is that I need to write smaller to do lists and have less pressure on myself. I’m not usually traditionally productive anyway even if I write those long to do lists cos of my fatigue so that’s where the pressure comes from. Thank you for this insight and looking forward to the new content! :)

love your top and blazer combo! and thank you for bringing this concept to light. as a med student, i feel guilty when i give myself time for deep rest but honestly...lately i have been prioritizing my mental health over my grades and im not sorry about it

For mec slow productivity is lowing down my expectations, being okey with my best effort, even if it is not perfect, and giving time to what actually is important to me.

1:10 Hit here 🖑, me too. I was so bad at accepting that there's things i can control, because, well, It's scary, that that was making me worse at controlling myself. So ironically i was leaved with nothing at all i could influence. I discovered first hand that this sense of entitlement is inborn within us (do you know a baby or toddler who doesn't get frustrated when don't receive what they want?) that's why we totally oblivious until someone and feel treated unfairly when the world doesn't go as we plan, as ridiculous as it sound people act like this all the time. The Joker schemer talk in Dark Knight feels viscerally real to me today, i think the more you cling to a set plan and don't adapt, accept that reality is everchanging, the worse of a planner you're going to be. So to remain sane and keep being productive, i started to focus more on an internal solucion, my thinking, my perception, mental plan and focus, rather than depending strictly on an external system that can be taken from me. Now i expect bad things to happen, try not to create too rigid plans and full schedule and don't be pissed if something interrupts what i really want to do, you can't use the excuse... "i can't do this other thing now cause i will not be able to control myself later when i return..." sounds ridiculous, and you have to learn to refocus and do the job after being interrupted (by others or yourself). I myself am still learning this so i know how hard it is.

Loved your video! I have been thinking and practicing slow living for some time now and slow productivity fits right in! 😜❤️ Video definitely was worth the wait!! ❤️ (Hardcore binge watched your channel some months ago and waited for new content very diligently. 😆)

Just stumbled upon your video. Great job! The ability to look inward and reflect on yourself is a great skill more people should practice. It sounds like you are describing the benefits of the Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology by David Allen. It seems like you have studied productivity a lot, so I feel like you would have run across it before, but thought I would drop it here in case it helps someone. David talks a lot about capturing your open loops and getting them into a trusted external system so you have the mind space to do what you want to, what you care about, take care of yourself, etc. Listening to seasoned GTD practitioners talk about their experiences describes the same overworked and anxious scenarios, but now they are able to operate in a more relaxed state where they are in control of what they do, not the other way around. Keep up the great work and best on your journey!

I 100% agree with your views on what productivity should look like. I also am a huge Sunsama / Notion user so I cannot wait to also use some of the other tools you mentioned. Work should not be exhaustive, and the more I tap into fun and rest, the more impact the production I do make has.

Really needed this video, it came at the perfect time. I'm at this point in time that I've decided to take a social media break to take away the distraction from my reality and to examine myself including my habits and productivity. Thanks so much Ro, please keep sharing how've you felt. I also hope you don't beat yourself up so much for feeling like you've wasted time. We're human and that's okay. We'll learn again. Sending energy and love from the island of Guam. 🇬🇺❤️

Just Wow!!! This is why I love you so much. You did it again, Row! Re-evaluate my life and see through it cus I have been trying so hard to ignore the most important thing…the present. Thanks to you!

Great impulse! I really appreciate the shift of focus on values and needs :) in my journey I am also leaning more into that & content like yours today inspires me. Thank you for that! ❤️

I feel like slow productivity is enjoying the process of doing the least you can to make something happen, and also adding relaxing elements to that productivity, an example being going to a coffee shop to write a paper, but instead of giving yourself time constraints, you use the time that you need to go through the process without stress. Enjoyment>efficiency

Hi Rowena! I was really glad to see this video come up in my recommends - I stopped watching your videos a year or so ago. My chronic illnesses had gotten so bad I could barely walk or take basic care of myself (and some days not even that), much less work and be productive like a 20-something "should". While I really like what I've seen of you on youtube, I couldn't stand all of the productivity talk. I'm glad to see you're reassessing youe relationship with work, and I hope it brings you more peace. Two resources I would recommend to you: Cassie Winters here on youtube - they do productivity, energy management, and how to disentangle your worth from work from a spoonie (disabled) perspective (it has really helped me while I've been struggling this year)- and a book called The Problem with Work by Kathi Weeks. I think both will have a lot of good stuff it sounds like you're looking for nowadays ❤️

Thank you so much for this video Rowena, I really needed it, was definitely worth the wait

there always some sort of deeply rooted issue that caused us to develop unhealthy habits even if it's extreme productivity. Being addicted to productivity is no different from addicted to substance or food. My deeply rooted issue is life insecurity. The sense that I'm not good enough if I'm not as busy as everyone is at juggling a full time high paying job, friends and family, romantic relationship, and a side hobby. Little did i know, not everyone can juggle all of these aspects in life as perfect as they can be or has meaning in them. It wasn't until I learned stoicism that I learned there's nothing wrong with going through life without having every aspects society expects us to have or what we pressure ourselves to have. Sometimes all these things are just noise. I'm slowly losing these insecurities and living to my true potential instead so i can actually be productive in the right area.

The most impressive reel I've seen today

you sound like someone who is going through/just went through their Saturn return, maturing and figuring out what’s really real and what really matters in this life. It only gets more enlightening as you get older!

In my thinking slow productivity means you can set the goal for days but u also take time for yourself on that day do whatever you want to do with the tasks and it would be easier

Ro, I honestly adore you SO much and are SOOOOOO happy you’re back 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕 sending you all the love and good vibes

I love how open u are

Thank you for this comfort :)

i think this video revealed exactly what was so toxic about working at a starbucks-style coffeeshop for me. my brain feels almost rewired to see anything but a constant churn of hyperproduction as unforgivably lazy. i’ve literally beat myself for cleaning too slowly, *in my own house.* i’ve scolded myself like the most ruthless caricature of a drill sergeant you could conjure over being two minutes late leaving the house, my head is just a constant loop of “stupid lazy piece of shit disgusting worthless lazy worthless useless lazy lazy lazy.” when you said “slow productivity” i had the mental equivalent of a dog hearing a sound it can’t comprehend and cocking its head side to side trying to parse it. i hate that i’m like this, and even though i may have had a more complex time of it because of late-dx neurodivergence, i hate that such a common experience of working in food service did so much damage to my mental (and really all levels of) health in just under a year. how much of it is “us,” and how much is it programming from having to meet the ruthless expectations of others?

I have reached a point in life where I am a student, but I also work as a manager. On top of that I live alone, I have since I was 16 because my mom is sick. Im 18 now. Previously I was okay with working a little, but the many shifts is starting to stress me out, now to the point that I hate most days, I enjoy many moments but the work, school, bills, everything is stressing me out lately. It's like I always wan't to just have one day with. nothing at all to do! I then have this paradoks: do I wan't to quit my job, focus on school and enjoying my life in a cheap way, but have very little money for food and stuff (nothing for shopping and fun ;( ) - or do I wanna continue this stressfull situation? I keep thinking that I could do something to stop the stress while still being productive just so I can keep saving money and so on. I don't know what to do, but watching videos like yours feels helpful

It’s so good to hear from you on this topic. Great content😊 choose yourself, choose empathy and kindness towards yourself and others and make your stay on this earth worthy - my key take always.

This video is so relatable that it hurts :,)

I missed you Rowena. Glad youre back 🥰 your videos always calms me thank you

I have been asking for new video and here we go !! I miss you Ro 🥺❤️

I really needed this video. Thank you! I wish you the best.

Ro it’s all capitalism and late capitalist values and ideologies. You almost got there with the industrial rev but then shifted to the burdens of contemp life and these two events have ~intense capitalist trauma~ in common. That said, anything working against capitalist logins of efficiency and productivity is groovy with me. Thanks for sharing your thought processes with us

Hi Rowena! I just wanna say that I am really thankful to you for your videos. I can relate to every post you have here on youtube. Salute to you! Whenever I feel sad or depressed, I will just stop everything and watch your videos. :) it is both enlightening and relaxing. Thank you!

I think slow productivity to me, feels and looks like I have set realistic expectations that doesn't make me feel as if the deadlines I've set are so intense that I just want to rush through as fast as possible to get to the end. Only to find that there's something else. It looks like stopping the burn out cycle, and not needing a partner or friend to be the one to remind me to take a break. Theres certain parts of my routine of health that don't go in waves but are non negotiable and consistent. Feeling less panicked and more intentional, finding comfort in the intention and action.

Thank you for this video. I always love your content - this time's no different! I appreciate you girl and yes always worth the wait don't worry!

Hi Rowena, Thanks for sharing your journey! Q1 Maybe 'slow productivity' means prioritizing and placing more value on your moments as they pass, and realizing that if you're not doing things that add value to your physical and mental well being you should just stop doing them. Epictetus said something like everyday is a lifetime, and every time you go to sleep you should realize that you might not wake up, and every time you leave your house you might never return. This is so true, so where does real value lay? In the present, right? Every persons experience is at the cutting edge of reality, so we should really pay more attention to that, and prioritize it above the accumulation of wealth or prestige or data. So maybe slow productivity is paying attention to how what you're doing changes your experience and the world around you and seeking to generate the most value out of your experience over the long term, rather than trying to get the most out of the experience for someone elses program. I think if a lot of people embodied slow productivity, the world would get better, people would stop the hurting themselves by working so hard for someone else's dreams, and transfer that wasted effort into cultivating themselves. Maybe a little metaphor. We're all like seeds and rather than selling ourselves to be ground up into flour to makes sweets for people who don't care about our well being, we should plant ourselves in the present moment and prioritize our growth into what ever unique and interesting plant we might become. Q2 I want to bring slow productivity into my life because, it seems like a much better approach than grinding my essence against my experience in an effort to create security for my being in an imaginary future. Q3 The most important thing to me is the quality of human experience. The most direct approach to improving the quality of human experience is making my experience better.

Love you!!!🥰 I also just started to work on these topics in my life and have been wondering how/where to start and so far the answer has been slowly lol!!! Thank you so much for your content and I am glad you are back and too time for yourself!!

Siempre llegan tus videos al momento exacto que necesito escucharte, gracias por todo tu trabajo y tu vulnerabilidad! XOXO

can somebody recommend me more channels like her? like calm, journalling, selflove, mindfulness, organizing stuff :)

It’s not the fact that there has to be a “certain level” of productivity you have to meet, but just being productive in general. Productivity is subjective to everyone’s abilities but you can always do something in order to better yourself and people around you

I've red somewhere that the 40hour workweek was invented when one person (mostly the wife) was staying home and doing things like cooking etc. In this modern world where a lot of people are single or both parts of a relationship work full-time, it's just not up to date anymore. And of course the priorities have shifted as well, you want hobbies and time with friends and one person can't do it all while working full-time.

I love so muchhhh you're like my mentor here...takecare of yourself and waiting for the next video😗❤

Rowena!! I just read this book too, this was the most perfect timing!! Thank you for this :)

Fav video yet!

Great timing Rowena! I also came to the same conclusion as you! Thank you for your insights and honesty!

This is an amazing video, very timely, too! I've been following you for a while and I really appreciate how you clearly explain and express ideas. Your videos are thought-provoking. Keep it up!

Love love love your video. You made me visualize the scene in X-Men when the professor is looking for nightcrawler lol.

I don't want this to be an attack to Rowena at all, but these videos always leave me with a question: what if you're not working an office/self-employed type of job? What if you work shifts? I was so happy to see people starting to embrace slow living, because more people talking about it means more opinions, and more opinions mean more ideas that you can find inspiration from. But at the end, all these videos stem from the perspective of people working very similar jobs. I appreciate Rowena can only speak from her own point of view, but I do wish we could expand the discussion somehow.

The right time to watch This