rina's space

february 23, 2025 @ 02:51 am | est. reading time: 5 - 6 mins | word count 933

embracing 'unproductive' days (the art of polako)

let's talk about the pressure to be always doing something: the invisible to-do lists, the guilt-tripping productivity podcasts, the nagging feeling that you're somehow "behind" if you're not hustling, if you don't try to monetize everything, or at very least have some "worth" out of it. fuck that all. i honestly don't know how you people in western countries live like that. today, i gave myself the gift of nothing. and by nothing, i mean a day so gloriously unproductive, it would make a sloth jelly. (not that i am usually very productive, but still)
i stayed home. i played video games. i watched youtube. and you know what? it was perfect.
in serbia, we have a word that captures this vibe: polako (полако). it doesn't just mean "slow down" or "slowly", it's a philosophy. a middle finger to this capitalist rush culture thing. think of it as moving through life like you're wading through honey. no urgency. no panic. just… being. you may be thinking i can "afford" this because i'm unemployed. but no, most people are like that. life is just slow(er) here. done without much rush. i'm not saying that people who have their lives together, unlike me, don't do their jobs, far from that. what i'm saying, people appreciate their free time. you'll rarely see this constant rush. people will get done with shit and than just take it easy for the rest of the day.
polako means no urgency. no panic. just… being.
here's how my polako day went:
✧ morning: slept until my body decided it was done. which was noon. i actually got out of bed at 1pm. had some prženice for breakfast with some cheese. simple.
✧ afternoon: played video games, watched youtube, had some candy, drank some coffee, nothing special.
✧ evening: drafted this post, i'm gonna go eat something, and get back to games.


damn, those prženice this morning were perfectly crispy on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside. thank you dad for making them for me! it was a simple breakfast, but everything felt right in that moment—no need to rush, no need to do anything but savor each bite. as i sat there in the quiet of the afternoon, enjoying my video game, without a care in a world. time seemed to stretch, and for once. it was nice.
polako means no urgency. no panic. just… being. so here's my hot take: burn the productivity bingo cards. cancel the plans that feel like obligations. let yourself exist, and take things at your own pace. the world won't end if things aren't done right here and right now.
for an example. in serbia, it's common for people to linger over coffee for an hour, or even more. if in group, chatting about anything and everything. you aren't expected to leave as soon as you're done, and you don't need to order more in order to stay. here, there's no need to rush through meals or conversations. we understand that time doesn't need to be packed with activity to be valuable. but i know many people in western countries who are constantly in motion—constantly doing something in a rush. it's almost as if there's a fear that if they stop, they'll fall behind, while the only thing they're falling behind is life itself. you should be free and allowed to "waste" time, staying indoors, playing games, and doing nothing at all.
being productive is not bad at all. the problem starts when it becomes a measuring "tool" for self-worth. when rest feels like a crime. when every free second is haunted by the thought that you "should" be doing something. sometimes, doing nothing is the most productive thing you can do for your mind. because at the end of the day, what's the point of grinding yourself into dust if you never stop to actually enjoy being alive? life isn't a checklist. there's no gold medal for who hustled the hardest. so, if you need permission to slow the fuck down, here it is: polako. the world will keep spinning, even if you take a breath. rest is not a luxury, it's a right. and even if you did "nothing" you deserve to rest, still. what if we let ourselves exist without justification, without guilt? the world will keep turning. the to-do lists will wait. but the moments we waste chasing an illusion of "enough": those don't come back. and don't you dare say its "waste of time". enjoy what you love, be it spending time on your computer not doing anything worthwhile, be it long walks, be it photography you dont intend on turning into profits, be it siting in a café for hours, be it anything at all. just chill the fuck down, take a breath. slow down. polako, polako, za sve ima vremena.

i hear some of you yelling: 'but i have to be productive! there's always something that needs to be done.' and i get that: life doesn't stop just because you want it to. bills need to be paid, projects need to be completed. but i also call bullshit. if its past your worktime, it can wait. you don't owe anyone your entire day. olako doesn't mean you stop doing everything; it means giving yourself permission to take a pause, to breathe, and not feel guilty for it. even if you're running a tight schedule, you can find pockets of time to just exist, to be present in whatever you're doing, whether it's a cup of coffee, some tv show, video games, anything. not everything is in money, or profits.

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