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.

The Seven Types of Rest We All Need

I am tired. The world is tired. It really doesn’t matter your beliefs, race, or other affiliations I am sure you are exhausted as well. The news cycle is awful, shootings, war, pandemic, inflation it is really a hot mess out here.

I keep going to sleep earlier and still waking ups just flat-out fatigued and have struggled to figure out why. Well, it hit me, maybe I am not giving myself the type of rest I need. Rest is more than sleep. According to Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith, there are seven dimensions to consider while trying to attain rest. I think most of us often focus too much on one dimension and hope to subconsciously distribute that state of rest in every other part. 

To achieve the true state of rest and rejuvenation, you need to observe these seven types of rest. All of the dimensions mentioned here are interconnected, and the absence of rest in one area easily affects the others. Paying attention to and then actually observing the various types of rest will help prevent the redundant patterns of restlessness and produce better results in the long run. You are most productive when you are rested. Therefore, you should channel all the necessary energy into attaining holistic rest. Yes, you may need to focus more on attaining all seven types of rest, but you will need less energy to be effective in whatever areas you need to tackle in your life. So what are the seven different types of rest?

Physical rest

There are two types of physical rest: passive and active physical rest. Passive physical rest involves actual sleep. Active physical rest is a more restorative rest. Doing something that helps your body’s circulation and flexibility like yoga or stretching or a slower-paced walk. Physical rest allows your body to build up new energy for pending tasks. 

Mental rest

The truth is your brain is constantly thinking about something. However, too much -uncontrolled thinking can leave you exhausted despite physical rest. Ever wonder why no matter how much sleep you get you never wake up refreshed? It could be you need more mental rest. Think about it like a computer… you need to close some of the active tabs on the screen and stop ruminating on things so much (within reason- stay alert at work guys!). Develop a culture of writing down those random thoughts like things you need to get done, so you don’t have pressure to keep remembering them. It will allow your mind to shut off for rest.

Sensory rest

Anything that triggers your five senses to send signals to the brain can easily overwhelm you, especially when all senses have to work simultaneously.  So to get sensory rest go to a quiet place where you are not being stimulated in any way. Another option is to set a timer for things that stimulate you this your phone. Too much time being engaged in scrolling, looking etc. can be overstimulating.

Creative rest

You can easily discern the absence of creative rest when your innovative ability feels suppressed. Excuse yourself from the matter needing your creativity because it is the source of your stress. Indulge in random activities or anything that relaxes your mind. An idea should pop up while you are doing unrelated activities from what you are trying to get creative in doing. 

Emotional rest

People pleasers suffer the greatest emotional torture. You are constantly putting other people’s emotions first and draining yours. You also feel restless at the thought of disappointing others. This may mean you need to set some boundaries with yourself. Teach yourself to say no or to turn down unnecessary requests so you are able to attain emotional rest. Remember, you can only give what you have.

Social rest

Each person has different types of social circles. There are the ones you easily connect with and others you feel you work too hard to entertain. Reduce the amount of time you are spending with the latter. You will attain social rest when you spend more time with your most trusted company of people or even by yourself. I tell people after work that sometimes I am peopled out a social battery is dead. This means saying no to the social outing and just being with myself or my family.

Spiritual rest

There are three dimensions to every human being, and your spirit needs constant nourishing. Most people think of religion here but it is more dependent on your own beliefs. So spiritual rest can look like prayer, meditation, or some other act that connects you to your Higher power. If you do not engage in spiritual beliefs or practices another way to get this type of rest is to have a sense of belonging with others where they feel accepted. It is all about the inter-connectedness of a relationship with others or your Higher Power.

Making sure you are nurturing yourself and ensuring you get all types of rest will help you feel more refreshed and able to tackle the tasks of your day. What type of rest do you need more of? What type of rest are you really good at getting for yourself?