Identifying Signs Of Toxic Productivity

Living slap bang in the middle of a pandemic can be a lot of things for many people. We're living in a time unlike we ever have, and life is not entirely as we once knew it. With that transition has come a few changes to work-life and our levels of productivity.

"CNBC" reported in December that in 2021, at least one in four Americans would be working from home (WFH). Many who have become accustomed to WFH life may have found themselves trying to keep as productive as ever.

Sometimes you may not notice that you've normalized a constant go-go-go mode. That goes for your personal life as well. In fact, it's an iteration of the traditional workaholic. The need to never stop doing can be overwhelming.

Toxic Productivity

"Toxic productivity can make us feel like a failure if we're not constantly 'doing. When toxic productivity is leading your life, you judge yourself every day for what you haven't done, rather than looking at what you have accomplished."

she told HuffPost.

Spotting toxic productivity in your daily life is the start of addressing it. Here are the signs to look out for of toxic productivity:

Your Health And Wellness Come Second

If you feel guilty for enjoying a good and healthy eight hours rest, night care regimen fully included (might even whip out the face mask), you might be putting yourself second to your job.

Rest is essential, and fun is important as they say, "you can't pour from an empty cup." Vitality flows when life is balanced.

Not Asserting Your Boundaries

If you're someone who likes going to bed at 9:00 p.m. and find yourself up and about beyond 9:00 p.m. to do something, whether it's checking your emails or finish a task, you may be giving your everything to productivity and little to yourself.

Compromising on your life's requirements, working when you're feeling under the weather, or putting in overtime over and over, can affect you in the long run.

Personal Relationship Are Going Unnourished

If you find that your personal relationships with your friends and family feel neglected because you're always busy. Ask yourself when last you picked up the phone to call your friends or family to say, "Hey, how ya doin'?" Or you're finding another excuse to always bail on responsibilities or plans?

You're Always Tired

Do we ever stop to think when we wake up still tired in the morning that maybe, just maybe, we still need rest instead of soldiering on with the day? Have you somehow made waking up feeling poorly rested "how it is"?

Unfortunately, the danger of always doing is the risk that being in a constant state of productivity does not guarantee productivity. It could lead to stress and burnout, which may make you less productive in addition to affecting your quality of life.