by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
We live in a culture that puts a lot of value into being productive. There are tons of blog posts and news stories on how to be more productive. Productivity is frequently equated with success.
This post is for those over-achievers out there. You know who you are. :) It’s about something called “toxic productivity”: something I hadn’t even heard of before last year. It’s also known as “action bias.”
What could possibly be bad about being productive? There’s definitely a downside, especially, I think, for writers and other creative people. Psychology Today discussed the issue in this post byPalena R. Neale Ph.D, PCC, :
Psychologist Kathryn Esquer, founder of the Teletherapist Network, says, “We could have used our free time to rest, recharge, and restore ourselves, but many of us filled those hours with more work to feel worthy, fulfilled, and in control.”
And what’s more, doing “enough” is never enough for people who fall into the toxic productivity trap. Such people are never satisfied—they could always have done more, or done things better. And this dissatisfaction is accompanied by guilt.
The article covers areas that sound very familiar to me. I’m definitely a Type-A, get-it-done person. The only thing I might disagree with is their statement that toxic productivity can produce slapdash efforts. Because I’ve already put the planning into it (my outlines, for instance), the results usually turn out all right. Although the results aren’t the problem, there are plenty of others associated with the issue.
Another article, this one by Danielle Doolen for The Everygirl site, talks about the problem inherent in choosing to only tackle tasks “with a clear objective”:
When’s the last time you did something solely for enjoyment? Like taking a walk in silence without forcing yourself to listen to a career-related podcast or taking on a hobby just for fun without trying to monetize it. People who suffer from toxic productivity often have unrealistic expectations about what needs to be accomplished. Sometimes what needs to be done is nothing. It’s okay if not everything you do has a clear purpose. Rest and relaxation are productive because they allow you to come back refreshed and ready to tackle your next project.
Although I hadn’t heard about toxic productivity until recently, I’m well-acquainted with burnout. Now I try and do better about refilling my well, although I am fairly single-minded even in my relaxation. To make the most of my time, I have watch-lists and TBR (to-be-read) lists so I can quickly hop right into something that I think I might enjoy. The idea is to get creative refreshment from activities like reading, watching films, taking walks outside, and listening to music.
One thing I haven’t been great about doing with myself is setting boundaries. It’s important to have an end to the working day. Emails can wait until the next day and so can other writing-related tasks.
Maybe tell yourself: you’ve done well today. It’s time to pack it in. Talk to yourself as you’d speak to a friend. Would you tell your friend they could be more productive after they’ve put in a full day?
Have you ever heard of toxic productivity? Have you experienced it for yourself?
On toxic productivity: Share on XImage by Arek Socha from Pixabay
I definitely know when it's time to chill. As long as part of my day was productive, I can slack the rest.
That’s a gift, for sure!
Thanks for sharing this, Elizabeth. Toxic productivity is an issue, and I think it can have serious consequences not just for the quality of work (as you say, that's not necessarily the problem), but for mental and even physical health. Our society still rewards that sort of self-sacrifice, and it's not healthy.
It’s definitely not and can lead to burnout and other issues.
I haven't heard of toxic productivity, but I definitely suffer from feeling like I have to be productive too much of the time. It's hard to say I can just spend a day relaxing, which makes it hard to think of retiring. I'm trying to work on giving myself more space for downtime and setting boundaries.
I can’t even picture retirement for myself, which is probably not a good sign!
I'm sure I'm guilty of that. I don't relax well and always feel I need to be doing something productive.
It’s so tough to relax! I really need to respect a quitting time.
Wonderful piece, Elizabeth! Thanks so much. I just suffered a little bout of burnout myself and couldn't force myself to write for several weeks—so glad to get this advice and give myself some grace!
Give yourself a break! And a hug, while you’re at it. You’re doing a great job!
Yep. In the kind of psychotherapy I practice (Transactional Analysis) we relate this to something called Drivers. Drivers are ways we've adapted usually as children to be OK with our parents or teachers or other important adults. The Drivers are Try Hard, Be Perfect, Hurry Up, Be Strong and Be Pleasing. And yes you can have more than one in your arsenal! The thing about them, which is mentioned in this article, is that they cannot be fulfilled. There is no way to know if you've tried hard enough, pleased enough, been perfect enough and so forth. You can implement your drivers when you know about them on purpose – no worries – but when you hold a belief that you are only as good as your accomplishments or activity – well, that is problematic. As I say to my clients – you will not be kicked off the planet for simply being. Stop and sit on your deck without having to deadhead your flowers. As writers we definitely need to be aware that 'noodling' about is part of writing. We're not typists. We have to sit and let the world in without using it!
This is fascinating, Jan, and so helpful. I wonder if Drivers are often firstborns (I’ve always been interested in birth order). I’m mostly Try Hard, Hurry Up, and Be Strong. No perfectionism here, ha. And you’re so right…when I sit on the deck, I’m contemplating yardwork. Very helpful insight…and so appreciated!