Just wondering...

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Is it normal to feel guilty about not doing something productive?

If you're one of those working types, then yes, it is. It really all boils down to personality type. A lazy guy would feel no compunction at being, well, lazy...

This isn't productive?

It could be said to be normal to feel that way. But sometimes that is due to social pressure and not really the healthiest of feelings. Your body and mind do need breaks. And forcing yourself to do something that doesn't make you happy is not the best recourse anyways. So I often worry that too much is made of being a "productive member of society". As long as you can live within your means or go somewhere that is possible, then I don't see anything wrong with doing whatever you want to do. But, if you are guilty enough about it that it makes you unhappy, go and do something that makes you feel productive.

i just don't get all those "nose to the grindstone" types. all work and no play makes for a lousy day.

I do not get people that are against specialization and are for well-rounded people.
This association makes sense to me because my father is one of the aforementioned types and he used the expression "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" which I did not understand at the time because play here was used as the usual NA way of getting a load off (social gatherings, talking about a days work etc.)
I do not know if it is normal.
I am going to assume that what is normal is what most people do.
I know I deviate from the norm and I do not like not being productive or spending my days meaningfully, it is the root of my depressions.
I cannot see into the minds of anyone else.

Work, for me is play.
I do not understand anyone that thinks play is different from work.
I always wondered why they did not make their work their play.
I no longer have such a liking for work, but I still find other people baffling, to some extent.

Not everyone has the luxury of having a job that they enjoy so much that they consider it to be like play. Most people get jobs simply to pay the bills and their "play" consists of doing what they like to do on their days off. At least, that's what I've learned from my experience - I have never met anyone who thought play was the same as work.

Anyway, it is normal to feel guilty about not doing anything productive but I also think it depends on your definition of productive.

not all of us are as high-functioning as you, to have one's pick of "fun" "play" jobs, which are totally off-limits to me. iow, there are many who simply cannot "make their work their play." the lion's share of "fun" jobs require extensive educational achievement which in america is basically unaffordable for those not solidly upper-middle-class or above. even if i had the dough to finish 4 or more years of university i lack the aptitude. thus, mcjobs are the things available to me and other average joes. don't look down on us.

I don't think ursaminor was trying to be offensive there.

I don't 'work' in the sense of being employed to do something daft for money, but I too consider my play as work and vice versa. I don't stop working at life just because they won't let me stack shelves in a supermarket.

I know I've read some quotations from some famous people about making work into play and vice versa. Pity I can't remember who, I'd like to quote them directly.

Of course in these times, work and play do seem seperate, because the only jobs available are really crap. I recommend getting out of the money economy as best as you can, it makes things much more pleasant. If you are engaged in proper, interesting work, instead of silly work like phoning people up and selling them crap, you might feel they are not separate things. I hope this does not seem patronizing, but I do feel sorry for those who do not enjoy what they spend vast amounts of their lives doing. I wish the world was different.

In my last job (washing dishes no less) I made my work both pleasant (play) and productive (work) by turning it into a meditation. It didn't stop me losing my job, mind.

And to answer the OP; yes It does seem to be the norm to feel bad about being unproductive. I talked about this earlier in another thread about work. I think it's a hangover from religious ideas about work being righteous and sloth being sinful. And other people get upset if they think someone is having an easier/funner time than they are. Also, there's a feeling projected by the media that if you are not successful, not rich, not drowning in porsches and bling and what have you then you are a lazy bum and you should get your finger out.

But you don't have to be normal. Do what you feel is worth doing, even if other people won't let you categorise it as 'work' or a 'job'. You have to be very strong willed to do what you need to do in this world when other people don't approve, as I'm sure most users of this forum can attest to.