Column by Cassidy Herrington. E-mail [email protected]

Life is fleeting, but this does not imply we need to live fast.

American culture is obsessed with working and making every minute productive. Eventually, our energy resources will be expunged, and the country will sink into a state of exhaustion (if not there already).

The Puritanism embedded in American culture and the US’ economic position in the global arena drives us deeper into an exhaustive cycle of working and over-scheduling.

This productivity addiction is characteristically American, and, until we recognize its implications, rising economic powers will rapidly exceed the US.

Economics aside, the emotional and psychological state of American culture suffers from energy output.

Indicators of America’s over-exertion are the multitude of anti-stress, pro-productivity remedies recommended in advertisements, such as sleep aids, Adderall or spongy mattresses.

But we have failed to unearth the root of the weed depleting our resources: associating productivity to happiness.

Even our weekends keep us overbooked and over-stimulated. I know students who went to Keeneland, the football game and the bars — all in one day.

While making a marathon of fun may seem like the appropriate remedy for a week of grueling routine and drudgery, it is pushing us further into a cycle of fatigue and estrangement from ourselves.

I include myself in this flawed mentality. When I have a full day before me, I cram one activity after another, and the moment my head hits the pillow I am defeated from exhaustion.

Here’s the appropriate solution: slow down and do everything in moderation. When possible, enjoy life one element at a time. Sip slower. Turn off the noise. Take a siesta.

Life is short, but sometimes, less is more.