☁️ Working less but also the same

tiktok brain / booktok vs lit girls / demure autumn

Hi friend,

What a weird week. It’s been a short one for those of us in the U.S. (and Canada, I just learned??), and four-day workweeks are always a bit different.

Whenever we have these truncated weeks, I always think of the argument for four-day workweeks becoming the norm. There are many studies at this point proving the value of shorter, more focused weeks. We have historical lessons of how the 5-day 9-5 workweek was mostly designed to combat long work hours in industrial jobs.

And yet, I find myself being a remote freelance worker sticking to the 5-day 9-5. Why?

Well, that’s something I’ve asked myself a lot lately. And even if you don’t have as flexible of a work arrangement as I do, I think the underlying theme is still relevant.

I talked to my therapist at length about it. I even spent parts of last week experimenting with a flexible schedule. Shocker: I completed all of my work in less time than when I pressured myself to sit at my desk for “regular” hours.

I’ve been conditioned to think, from the start of my career, that doing anything but sitting at my desk and “being productive” between 9-5 makes me less good.

Less good at what I do, less deserving of good things, less good as a human.

Which is so silly!! Presenteeism isn’t good. Toxic productivity isn’t good. Equating my value as a human to the amount of tasks I can check off my to-do list isn’t good!

To add another layer to it, good is entirely arbitrary! But I digress…

Somehow, during these four-day workweeks, we get things done. We don’t just call the entire week bad because we took one day off. In fact, we’re often more present for the work we are doing because we’re well-rested and recharging our batteries.

If this all resonates with you, I encourage you to give yourself some grace and kindness – regardless of your workplace flexibility. You have time. You’re a human, not a walking task list. You are good enough.

with warmth + love,

N

P.S. Thank you to all of you who sent kind messages last week about my return! I’m so glad to hear so many of you are open to me sharing whatever weird creative mess comes out of my brain, so I promise to share more with you soon.

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📚 read

• Can creators own an aesthetic? what happens when your style becomes a trend? being unique can set creators apart from others, but what happens next?

• About TikTok brain: according to science, endless short-form videos may have an effect on our brains and attention spans (shocker)

• BookTok vs lit girls: if you’re looking for the latest niche drama, might I introduce you to one of my favorites – the divide between people who read mostly viral books and those who think of themselves as literary purists

• Brat Autumn or Demure Fall? personally, I’ll be going with demure fall, but also I’ve never been able to pull off the ‘brat’ vibe

• Google Forms is the new hot dating app: people are apparently making Google Forms and buying Instagram Ads to find love these days

• Having the September Scaries: does this week feel like a major version of the sunday scaries? you’re not alone! it’s a real thing at the end of summer

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🌱 do

This week, I started refurbishing an old hutch from my great-grandmother. I inherited it when my mom moved earlier this year, and it’s been sitting in my garage collecting dust ever since. It’s the item I keep moving off my to-do list for the next weekend, then the next, then the next.

Finally, with little plans and a week of perfect weather, it was time. When I tell you I’m not a handy person, I mean I literally don’t even hammer nails into walls.

But, with the whispered encouragement of my ancestors and the unbridled confidence of many YouTube & TikTok tutorials, I started the project. (And I’m still working on it as of this newsletter.)

All that to say, here’s my challenge for you this week: do something that you don’t know how to do.

If you’re like me, try out something physical – a new craft, a DIY project, fixing something. If you’re actually very handy thank you very much, try something that’s more abstract – writing something, reading a poem, or starting an art piece. I promise, it’s SO FUN being a beginner at something & figuring it out!

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✌️ until next week

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Thanks for reading, friend! 🤍