Bad metaphors: ‘recharge’

I often think about how neoliberalism and the current social climate of being ‘always online, always at work’ affects the body. I’m particularly interested in how we mould our leisure or ‘care’ time in service of work and surviving the economy. Laurie Penny’s 2016 article ‘Life Hacks of the Poor and the Aimless’ is an excellent overview of this concept of self-care as late-capitalist ritual.

Sophie Haigney’s recent piece describes how the metaphor of ‘recharging’ is inherently connected to this notion that wellness begets productivity as its primary outcome. She writes:

“Even vacation, that ever-shrinking benefit, is not simply time away from the desk, time for ourselves, time allotted for the beach or the mountains or lying in bed. Instead, we go on vacation to recharge ourselves for the work that awaits us on our return.”

Therein lies the nuance. In the past, we worked to have free time – to enjoy weekends and holidays. Now, we use our free time to prepare for work.