Feel like you’re always on the go? Productivity anxiety — trying to tackle a never-ending to-do list —can sabotage relationships, mental wellbeing and physical health…
You’re shattered and desperate to put your feet up, but when you think of your endless list of tasks and chores, the idea of collapsing on the sofa makes you feel too guilty. It’s a permanent problem — no matter how much you do, you never feel like you’ve achieved quite enough. Sound familiar? You’re not alone.
A recent survey has found that productivity anxiety is on the rise, with three in five women saying that they don’t feel they are ever able to do or achieve enough.
Dr Jenny Brockis who is a medical practitioner, burnout expert and the author of Thriving Mind: How to Cultivate a Good Life, says: ‘With productivity anxiety, we’ve created this state of mind that we’re not “enough” unless we’re always busy.
‘It might feel good to tick things off, but this form of anxiety where we can’t stop “doing”, is often detrimental to our relationships, our mental wellbeing and our health. It triggers stress, anxiety, resentment and eventually burnout. In short, it can make us really ill.’
So, what are the signs that we’re falling into the ‘productivity trap’ and what can we do about it?
Here, Jenny explains…
Ask yourself why?
Ask yourself, ‘What are the drivers here? Why am I behaving this way?’ It might be that you’re after recognition or approval from peers or loved ones? Maybe you are holding yourself to a level of perfectionism that is unsustainable, or perhaps you’re striving for a sense of self-worth?Successfully identifying why you’re struggling to let yourself rest is a vital step in challenging the behaviour.
Give yourself permission to take a break
Stop feeling guilty about watching that TV show or taking that nap. There’s often a sense of guilt or shame wrapped up with doing things that are unproductive. But it’s important to remember that we’re human — not machines. We’re optimised to perform at our best when we’ve had sufficient rest and recovery. You wouldn’t expect a professional athlete to train endlessly without rest, and we mustn’t expect ourselves to keep going without a proper break either.
Value progress over perfection
Instead of putting pressure on ourselves to do everything perfectly, we need to seek more value in the progress we make. Realistically, we’re not going to be able to complete a huge number of tasks to a very high level all the time — it’s about addressing balance. For example, you might decide that it’s better to do fewer tasks but do them really well, or to do more tasks but accept they are not going to be perfect.
Accept that the to-do list will never be completed
The laundry basket will never be empty. Your inbox will never be clear. Instead of trying to reach a place where everything is ticked off, really accept that it never will be and make peace with that. Taking unachievable goals off your plate makes it much easier to prioritise the things you truly value.
Have a not-to-do list
Make sure that you put healthy boundaries in place. These boundaries might be around when you start and finish work, the chores you’re going to delegate, or the things on your to-do list that aren’t essential.It can even be helpful to have a ‘not-to-do list’. For example: I will not have my laptop on past 7pm or constantly clean up after everyone in my house.
Reframe your perspective on rest
Prioritising relaxing activities can be hard when we see them as a luxury or a reward that comes after we’ve completed all our jobs. But not only is downtime vital for our health, without it, you become less productive. In fact, studies show that people who make time to do some brief exercise in the morning are far more productive than those who don’t, saving more time in the long-run.
Spot the seven signs
1 You feel guilty and a sense of shame when you’re not being productive.
2 You’re always comparing yourself to others and wondering why you can’t keep up.
3 You don’t feel you have time to rest because you should always be ‘doing’.
4 You don’t consider self-care a priority, and you struggle to sleep because your mind is often racing.
5 You’re desperate to finish that to-do list but no matter how much you do, it never feels enough.
6 Doing things makes you feel ‘in control’.
7 Being constantly productive gives you an increased sense of self-worth.
● For more information, visit drjennybrockis.com