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8 signs you’re stuck in a cycle of toxic productivity ‘even at the detriment of your own health, wellbeing’—and how to get out of it
It might be hard to believe that productivity can be anything but positive, but when taken to extremes, even a good thing can have drawbacks.
The negative side of "always getting things done" is commonly referred to by experts as "toxic productivity."
Toxic productivity involves "working and needing to be productive, even at the detriment of your own health and wellbeing," says Jennifer Moss, professional speaker and author of "Why Are We Here?: Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants."
You feel like "no matter what, you're in a sense of urgency," Moss says. It's the "societal pressure to always be performing and always be productive."
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Toxic productivity can mimic signs of burnout. But unlike burnout, you're still able to complete your tasks and stay engaged. Still, this doesn't allow you to perform sustainably.
"One of the things that we start to see is that after people are working so many hours, they actually are losing productivity, so they're making less gains," Moss says.
Here are a few signs your productivity may have taken a turn for the worse, and how you can move towards work-life balance.
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8 signs you're stuck in a cycle of 'toxic productivity'
As a result of working or getting things done:
- You're not spending as much time as you'd like with friends and family
- You're consistently working beyond your set work hours
- You're sending emails at night or on weekends
- You always eat lunch at your desk
- You're abandoning the things you care about and love to do like hobbies
- You've stopped paying attention to your health
- You feel like you're in a constant cycle of completing tasks
- You've stopped prioritizing periods of rest
These factors can all have negative effects on your health, and lead to burnout, exhaustion and feelings of hopelessness, Moss says.
Moss encourages everyone to add productive rest to their to-do lists.
Rest is 'beneficial to us getting things done'
One way you can combat toxic productivity is by viewing rest as "hugely beneficial to us getting things done," Moss says.
She suggests you keep the "7 Types of Rest" in mind, which researcher and physician Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith identifies and breaks down in her book, Sacred Rest.
Dalton Smith's seven types of rest, as described in her quiz, are:
- Physical rest: Getting high-quality sleep, engaging in movement
- Mental rest: Taking breaks, quieting your mind
- Emotional rest: Expressing how you feel, avoiding people pleasing
- Creative rest: Taking in the beauty around you, making space for your hobbies
- Social rest: Spending time with the people who bring you joy
- Spiritual rest: Connecting with a higher power, prayer, meditation
- Sensory rest: Getting some time away from screens and devices
And if you find you're still not convinced that rest leads to more productivity, turn to the research.
For every additional 10 hours of vacation time that an employee used, their performance at the end of the year increased by 8%, according to a study from Ernst & Young.
While some may think eating lunch at their desk — "desktop dining" — can increase productivity, simply taking a walk or enjoying that meal outside could actually do much more for their creativity.
"Look at how much more effective and efficient we are by taking rest," Moss says.
"If we get this type of productive rest, we're more likely to hit our goals on time, to be more efficient [and] to make less mistakes."
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