Learning to Rest Without Guilt

By Katherine Ibach, Events Coordinator

I used to think being productive meant I should always stay busy. The more I could accomplish in a day, the more successful I would feel. I carried that mindset into university, where I knew I could put my head down, work hard, and get things done. What I didn't expect was how easily that same mindset could turn rest into something to feel guilty about.

I remember one evening early in the semester, sitting down to call a friend after a full day of classes and meetings. Instead of relaxing, I spent the whole call thinking about the assignment I could be working on instead. Other people are probably being productive right now. I should be too.

That was a strange shift for me. Growing up as an athlete, I was taught that rest wasn't a sign of falling behind; it was part of how you got better. At Queen's Commerce, though, it's easy to lose sight of that. Between classes, clubs, applications, and conversations about what everyone else is doing next, being busy can start to feel like proof that you're moving forward.

But I've learned that busy and productive aren't the same thing. Some of my most restorative moments have nothing to do with accomplishing anything, an evening with friends, a phone call home, simply being present without an agenda. There's no measurable outcome, but there's real value in it.

I've started rethinking what productivity means. Some days it's getting the work done. Other days it's getting enough sleep or spending time with people I care about, without needing to justify it afterward.

The guilt hasn't disappeared entirely; I still catch myself thinking I could be getting ahead. But I've started protecting time each week that's just for rest, no output attached. It's a small shift, but it's taught me that being productive isn't always about doing more. Sometimes it's about making room for the parts of life that don't need to accomplish anything at all.