In the professional world, there has long been a competition over who can do the most and sleep the least. Psychologists even call this phenomenon a โvanity culture.โ
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Itโs no coincidence that on social media, you can see posts like, โI left the office at midnight. Tomorrow is the same busy and exciting dayโ. This attitude has to do with the belief that the more you work and improve yourself, the better you are. The motto of this approach can be considered Elon Muskโs famous tweet, โNo one has changed the world in 40 hours a week.
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In the pandemic, the quest for productivity has only intensified. Remoteness has completely blurred the boundaries between work and play, and people now strive to be in touch even more actively than before.
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One tries to show that there is a lot of work, and one does not run to the supermarket and does not do household chores during the day. Second, this is a way to compensate for the absence from the office. And the third wants to prove that he is the most reliable and efficient employee in any condition.
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For these people, work becomes more important than anything else. And a โbustling cultureโ sometimes helps them get promoted or recognized. However, this productivity has a dark side.
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Why is productivity so toxic after all?
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Leading clinical psychotherapists says about several physical and mental problems at once, which will undoubtedly face every person who gets carried away by the โvanity cultureโ.
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1. Constant dissatisfaction
I could have done moreโ is an obsessive thought that haunts anyone who has slipped into toxic productivity. In fact, after all, a phone or laptop is at hand all the time. You can answer one more letter, make a couple more edits, finish that text, and watch that motivational lecture. And the list goes on and on. As a result, the person falls down but still believes that he or she tried. Is not enough. One could be more active. More productive. More successful.
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2. Anxiety
It is common for these people to doubt themselves all the time and think they have not done enough. This means they are not as professional as they would like to be and, in general, are out of place. As a result, they may develop impostor syndrome. Its consequence is constant restlessness and anxiety caused by fear of โexposureโ and dismissal.
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3. Fall in self-esteem
The person with toxic productivity associates self-esteem with the number of hours spent at work. I worked hard. I didnโt sit idle for a minute. Well done! โI could have done betterโฆโ is a lazy loser.
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4. Relationship problems.
Conversing with family and friends takes a lot of time. And with toxic productivity, it is severely lacking. As a result, a person becomes impatient and even intolerant and avoids โmeaninglessโ heart-to-heart conversations and meetings, which leads to natural difficulties in relationships.
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5. Health problems
Work tasks in toxic productivity seem more important than sleep, rest, walking, and exercise with apparent consequences: chronic stress, hemorrhoids, cardiovascular problems, and other violations associated with a sedentary lifestyle, socially withdrawn, and very nervous.
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6. Decreased productivity and motivation.
Toxic productivity sooner or later turns into burnout and depression. A person who had previously been on fire with work begins to tire quickly and performs his tasks automatically: there is not enough strength for more.
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Coping with toxic productivity
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To work effectively, you must forget about personal relationships, everyday problems, and hobbies for a while. Similarly, you must learn to forget about work to live productively, rest, recuperate, communicate, walk, and exercise. The only way out of the toxic productivity trap is to achieve a good work-life balance.
Here are some recommendations on how to break the cycle:
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1. Delegate
Try to delegate some work tasks to other people, and donโt be afraid to ask for additional help from your colleagues. If youโre a student, you can use the assistance of professionalย essay writersย service not to be overloaded by study assignments.ย
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2. Schedule work and study breaks
Thatโs right, put them in your schedule. For example, indicate that you have 10-15 minutes of time off after each vital meeting or work phase is completed.
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Go for a walk, get some fresh air, warm up, drink water, listen to music, and meditate. Or at least look out the window instead of the monitor or documents.
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3. Relax on the weekend
No phones, urgent letters, or business meetings. To regain strength, you should completely disconnect from work.
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4. Set boundaries that will define your lifestyle
For example, agree with yourself:
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- sleep at least 7 hours a day, for this you can, for example, go to bed no later than 11 pm;
- warm up at the end of each working hour;
- determine the time to communicate with family and friends, when you definitely will not be distracted by other things;
- eat at least twice a day instead of snacking while running.
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5. Try to get off social networks
Especially on weekends and vacations. Observing someone elseโs embellished life makes you think, โOther people are so active, not like me.โ Feelings of guilt will cause stress, which will interfere with normal rest.
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6. Visit a psychotherapist
With the help of a professional, you will find out what drives you to a โbustling cultureโ and gradually learn how to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Last Updated on by riyaspeaks