4 Ways to Recognize and Combat Toxic Productivity

Recently I was on a bad rollercoaster. It seemed like no matter how early I woke up or how late I  went to bed I was never fully satisfied with the number of things I had done for the day. Spoiler alert I do ALOT. I have a family, friends, and a  business, and I am always trying to create helpful content. There is a lot going on. All the experts say wake up earlier to have that first hour to yourself and I did that. Stay up later and clean (again I have children so cleaning is a constant) and set the tone for the next day, I did that. Even though things were being done I still felt behind and it started to impact my worth on some level. It was literally never enough. The list was always growing. The need to feel productive and accomplished had really gotten out of hand. Then it hit me. I had fallen victim to toxic productivity.

Toxic productivity is the tendency to overdo things in an effort to reach a state of satisfaction that is never really attained. The odd part is it usually looks like the person has it together.  It can be easily mistaken for industriousness or extreme diligence, but it often works against the doer without their consciousness. Because the person is always looking to achieve the next thing and there is literally always the next thing. I also think a lot of us have been conditioned to achieve so it can be hard to recognize toxic productivity.

How to Recognize It

Some of the ways to recognize toxic productivity are through your attitude towards things. If you notice that you are never satisfied with what you have done, even if it meets your day’s to-dos, it could be an indication of toxic productivity. Toxic productivity prioritizes your uncontrolled urge for productivity over your well-being. You just keep on working endlessly without paying attention to your body’s need to rest. While most noticeably in your body your mental health is also impacted because you are never content with whatever you have done. Here are a few other signs to look out for:

Tendency to Work Overtime

You will find yourself developing a culture of working overtime even when it is not necessary or mandated. The things you have been able to accomplish in a day do not feel enough and you constantly want to do more than the average tasks to feel like you have done something significant.

Feelings of guilt when things are left undone

Your response to undone tasks is rather extreme compared to how the average person would react. There is a constant fear of appearing incompetent when a task is undone even when you are ahead of the original schedule. Guilt for the undone tasks is what leads to working overtime. 

Ignoring Self-care

It is common to ignore the cues to take care of your body. You may be feeling very tired but your desire to do all the things makes you ignore the physical cues of being tired and needing rest. 

Anxiety or Depression

Oftentimes, it is difficult to realize how much stress and pressure you are putting on yourself through toxic productivity. While most people are stressed by the expectations placed on them by others to perform, you are your own cause of stress. You rarely appreciate your achievements and instead, focus on what you have not done. The pessimistic approach to life may result in constant anxiety or depression. 

Eventual Fatigue and Burnout

As much as you are feeling overly ambitious most of the time, it gets to a point where the body gives in and you are too tired to continue with the habit. 

How to Combat It

So knowing all of this great but what do you do to combat it? I took a vacation. I understand from a financial place and just the obligations of life this is not always possible. However, if you can I really encourage you to take an extended break from things. The weekend just is not enough. Try a few of the following.

Recognize Your Self Worth is not Just in Your Work

I added this one first because it will more than likely be the hardest. It is going to require you to rewire your brain. You have to remember that you are more than your work. Wo you are is not where you go to work every day. Spend time doing things that are not related to work, or even money. You do not have to monetize every hobby you have.

Add Breaks

As you consider cutting down on this habit, a good place to start is to add frequent breaks so you aren’t overexerting yourself for long periods. Literally, block your calendar and take breaks, get a sip of water, and walk away from the screen (or other workplaces as you can).

Celebrate the small wins

As difficult as it may seem for you, set reasonable goals to attain so you train your mind to appreciate the little milestones you achieve. Everything you do is an accomplishment. Some are bigger than others but it is a win no matter what. Learn to celebrate the small wins along the way so you are reminded of what you have accomplished. 

Set Boundaries

Resist the urge to touch on the next day’s goals even if you are idle for the remainder of your day. Go do something else. 

Find Time Off

Finally, take time off your usual routines and do relaxing things like going on a vacation every now and then. 

One bonus I can add to this is to create a short and recent brag list. Write 3-5 of the most recent accomplishments on a post-it note and leave it near your mirror, workstation, dresser, or wherever you will see it often as a reminder that you are doing more and better than you are giving yourself credit for. It is also important to remember every day your level best is different so do not compare what you accomplished yesterday to today because your capacity may be different.

It really is ok to Level Up!

So a comment was made by a celebrity (Ciara this week), and folks are all up in arms. I am not 100% sure what the fuss is about. From what I have read she simply expressed her truth. She noted after she leveled up, started to look to God more, and really love herself the right man came along. This is her experience and who are we to take that from her. Before you all start the eye-rolling keep reading... I think the issue is because she said  “level up” and get the love you deserve. People seem to be super in their feelings because of the words level up. Even one of my friends said she took the comment as if you are single you have no standards. So it got me thinking…

Why are we so consumed with every thought a celebrity has? Sure they are in the light and people look to them and they decided to be in the spotlight but we are all responsible for our own actions. Just because she believes in leveling up you don’t have to.They are human just like the rest of us, and if your homegirl disagreed with you would you drag her like some do celebrities? Just my thoughts…

Let’s talk about leveling up. If I am correct it means to get your shit together in all areas of your life. This will look different for everyone. Some will lose weight, start their business, get a deeper relationship with God, carry crystals with you, start reading more books, whatever it is we all can agree it is an improvement on your life. So don’t you want to level up? Or is complacency the new in thing? When we apply for jobs we never say ok I'm entry level and I am good with this for life. I have arrived. No, we get in to learn the ropes and start looking for a raise, promotion, or the next job.

I read some comments saying she is using her marriage as a tool or weapon and I was again confused. #Howsway All she was saying, or how I interpreted it was once you focus on you, and get clear about what you want you can attract it. After you get so into you and realize what it is you actually want you will be able to waste less time with men who mean you no good. I know for me I wasted time and dated losers because I was dating to be dating at one time in my life. I didn’t really know what I wanted so I ended up not getting much of anything if you catch my drift. We can all agree like attracts like so why not improve yourself. The new and improved you will undoubtedly attract more than a man. You will get the bougie girlfriends you wished you had, the promotion you have been dreaming about, or even attract the client to your business because you have now become an improved version of our self. What is wrong with that?

Let me tell you a story… When I met my husband I was a single mom of one, working as a therapist (my previous dream job). I lived on my own and was doing my thing. Admittedly I was more together on paper than I was internally but I was actively working on it. So I guess at the time I met him I was like mid glow up lol (although I am sure that was not the term those years ago). The point is I was in a good place, and working daily to be better. THAT IS WHAT ATTRACTED THE MAN TO ME. For us, regular degular folks life ain't always peaches and cream. So what married minded man wants to marry a girl he has t fix up or who is bringing nothing to the table, not even a plate? Because if the shoe was on the other foot while women are more likely to go for the fixer-upper we are not setting out looking for him. We want a man with his ish together. We want the security that comes with a stable man.

I got off topic...Prior to my self-proclaimed glow up I was attracting broken men, with no jobs, mommy issues, emotional abusers, egos bigger than the Beyonce song, and all other foolery. I was attracting them because I was broken. I was vibrating so low that is what I picked up.  Did I need to level up? Hell yes! Is that the sole reason I got married? Nope, but it damn sure helped. I was happy and whole when I got married. I was not looking for anyone to love me because I loved and still love me. In fact, I was happy to just be me with my child. I had spent so much time dating idiots I decided to date me, and the moment I became ok with me things changed. I walked away from my job (I went back, but with a raise lol making just under what a LCSW makes without a license and in case you are not a counselor and not familiar with non-profits that's a big damn deal!). Nope, life has not been perfect but it has steadily been getting better. I have setbacks but I come out ahead because I glowed up.

So no this is not me using my life as a weapon or shaming tool. This is me telling you if I can do it, the girl who was pregnant at 19 by the way ole boy the sperm donor straight walked away you can too!!!!! I have been through so much and we all have a story to tell but unless you level up in some way your story is going to stay the same and we both know you don’t want that. Leveling up is not all about a man because some of my smartest most successful girlfriends don’t even see marriage as an accomplishment. However to live a life you love whether working a 9-5, being a housewife, having a side hustle, walking the red carpet, whatever it is will require you to level up. How will you level up today?

4 Ways to Make 2018 Great

As soon as the kids took off their Halloween costumes it felt like they were pulling out the Christmas tree lights, and here we are in 2018. Is it me or is time flying by?

Anyway, this is the time of year where everyone is reflecting. What went well, what went wrong? Some people will be shouting "new year new me" and while I am not a fan, I am a recovering member of the club. I am not quite sure why I thought I had to wait until the new year to change. Change is a series decisions you make and they are not bound by time or date.

However, I understand the concept. The new year brings about a refreshing sense of newness and it seems like the right time to lose weight or cut people off when really the right time was the moment you made the decision to be a better you. I get though we are all looking to win in some form or fashion. Whether it be finding that great love, buying our dream home,  booking a speaking gig, or landing a high paying client. Whatever it is we all want to be great. So this year, if you start losing focus on the resolutions here, are some habits to adapt to make sure this is your year.

1. Be intentional. Whatever your goals are get aligned and make them happen. Once you are sure about what you want  to accomplish make sure you are constantly doing what you need to do to make it happen on purpose.
2. Change your mindset. You can have everything you want if you think you can. Stop allowing our past, what you did last year, or the limiting beliefs you have to stop you. Trust me we all have had these beliefs and a lot of times they are inherited. How you were raised helps to shape what you think is possible but that is a lesson for a different day.
3.  Stop setting goals without setting time to do the work. We all are like Ok I am going to lose weight this year, but what we fail to figure out is when we will meal prep, when we add working out to our already busy schedule, how many calories will we intake. Or better yet my clients say this is the year they will find a man, yet they never leave the house, don't know what they are looking for in a relationship, and sadly some of them are still in love with their ex. Simply setting the goal is not enough. You have to plan for the process.
4.  Make your to-do list NON NEGOTIABLE.  I get it at the end of the day you are tired and just want to sit on the couch and watch the TV, or maybe you want to read a book. Either way, the to-do list is not a priority after work. You had the best intentions but by the end of the day, your determination fades. But this is where we mess up. This is how we stay stuck and never lose the weight, start the business, finish writing that bestseller or whatever the goal is.  If you are really serious you have to work even when you are tired and don't want to because that is where the real change happens. 

What are you going to do to make this a great year for you?

6 time management tips to help you have it all

We want it all if we are honest with ourselves, and in my opinion nothing is wrong with that. We want the family, career, money, cars, all of it. Now how do we get there? You have to begin telling yourself you can have it all and then define what “it all” is for you. This will look differently for every one. Figure out what your ideal day looks like. Does this include meetings, sessions, gym time, children, husband, work, travel? You have to know what you are working toward so you can get there. Then there is time.

Time, if we are honest we often waste away (social media, reality TV, sleep) and then complain about not having enough of it. Coming from my own past experience, watching TV instead of working out was much more fun. However, you could always find me complaining about my weight and saying I had no time to work out. Another old favorite of mine was using my children as an excuse not to clean. Yep I would say well I work every day the weekend is the time I need to be with them. When really I just wanted to avoid the laundry, scrubbing, and sweeping. Yes spending time with my kids is hella important but if one is napping and the other is reading how much time are we really spending together? Still, I would think geesh I really just need a day to clean... yes after wasting an entire day with excuses.

I was making a lot of excuses to simply do what I wanted to do (be lazy, although I called it rest) and not what I needed to do (everything else, cook, clean, etc.). I always found myself saying I want to do more, be more, and have more, but I was not putting in the effort. I was putting in the excuses.

Excuses are tools of nothingness (yep I am a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta- all my fellow NPHC Greeks feel me on this). Back to these excuses... making them was only getting me one thing NOTHING. The truth was I had time to get healthy, cook, start a business, and whatever else I wanted to if I used my time wisely. What I needed to do was to shift the way I thought about time. I had convinced myself I did not have enough of it when the truth is I had plenty. I simply had to use wisely.

Here are a few things I started to do to gain better control of my time.

1. Protecting my time. Which really means setting boundaries, and saying no when I needed to say no and no longer feeling guilty about it.  I now refuse to allow my time to be wasted. It may seem harsh but it has really been beneficial for me and my family.
2. I am intentional about how I spend my time. If I set out to spend time with my family, I make sure everyone is awake, present, and with limited electronic interaction. If it is time to blog or do other stuff related to my business I make sure I set the intentions to complete those task. It really is about a mind shift here.
3. I plan for things. Part of being able to fit so many things into one day is knowing what must be done. If I know what I have to do, I can fit in what I want to do. I decided I wanted to put more effort into my own self development. So instead of having my own lip sync battle on the way to work daily I now make sure I listen to a podcast that will feed my growth at least 3 days a week on my way to work. 
4. Prioritize. This is my best kept secret. If it can be done later I do it later and do something that cannot wait. Everything is not an emergency so it will not be treated as such.
5. Practice discipline. It is easy to lay down because I worked all day. Then who is going to cook, clean, blog, talk to my clients, how will I ever get into shape. When I set my list I do it. There is no waiting until tomorrow because I have already filtered out what can wait so it is not on the current day’s to do list.
6. I am flexible with my family. I know you giving side eye after reading 1-5, but I am. If my babies are sick things get shifted. My daughter is pushing 13 so her emotions and hormones are off the chain. If she needs some extra mommy time she gets it. Sometimes bae needs time and I am not here for the games so bae gets his time.

By doing all these things I am so much closer to my goal of having it all. I am able to be a great wife, mom, biz owner, and still employee. It is not easy but it can definitely be done.

How do you manage it all? Have questions? Shoot me an email mrstoyacarter@gmail.com I would love to help.