For most of us, “productivity” is something positive, desirable, even healthy—especially when it comes to work.
But productivity also has a dark side, which I’ve been experiencing more and more recently.
Perhaps you have too, but maybe you don’t even realize it. Toxic Productivity is so insidious, it often goes unchecked for long periods. It tends to appear most in times of stress, which we (collectively, as a society) are currently enduring in extreme quantities.
If you want to learn how to work effectively while under stress, you first need to understand what Toxic Productivity is and how to avoid it. Here’s a quick introduction to the idea, in case it’s new for you.
Think of productivity as a spectrum. In the middle, you have “healthy” productivity. This is where you’re working hard, getting things done, feeling satisfied and accomplished at the end of the day. In this state, you’re thriving.
But, if you go too far to either end of the spectrum, your healthy productivity turns toxic, and this is what tends to happen during times of stress.
Right now, for example, we’re all experiencing something brand new—a global pandemic—and our lives have changed dramatically as a result. Many of us are consumed by worry for the future; financial, health, and family concerns dominate our mental landscape.
And yet, many of us are also expected to work during this time. So, while we have all of this natural emotion about the current situation, we also have the nagging belief that we still need to be productive.
So, we tend to go in one direction or the other. Some of us go FULL FORCE into productivity. We use work as a distraction from everything else going on. It becomes an excuse to avoid dealing with reality. We bury ourselves in projects and to-do lists as a way of escaping our feelings. Generally, the work we produce isn’t especially high quality, but it’s quantity we’re after. The more we do, the less we have to deal with the true cause of our stress. It’s still there; it’s just temporarily hidden.
Of course, some of us go in the opposite direction. Our feelings are so overwhelming, we’re unable to focus long enough to do much of anything. Often, we bounce back and forth between tasks, trying desperately to get something—anything!—done, but struggling every step of the way. And the worst part is, we waste the majority of our energy beating ourselves up. The less we get done, the worse we feel, and the harder it becomes to get anything done. It’s a toxic, vicious cycle.
In times of stress, most of us end up on one end of the spectrum or the other. Both are equally detrimental: Either your work is overshadowing your feelings, or your feelings are overshadowing your work.
Healthy productivity exists right in the middle. It’s balanced. You’re paying attention to your feelings and your work—you’re giving them both the attention they deserve, but neither gets ALL the attention.
It’s healthy because both things matter. Your feelings are important, especially in times of stress. If you just bury them and pretend they don’t exist, they’re likely to come out sideways at some point—and that’s when we do things we later regret.
But work is important too. In the right dose, it can, indeed, be a positive distraction. Plus, for most people, work supports your livelihood. If you don’t take care of those responsibilities, you’re just adding to your stress.
So, the question then becomes: How do we avoid the toxic ends of the spectrum? How do we continue to work in a healthy, productive way even while under stress?
My solution is pretty simple: I try to stay aware of my place on the spectrum each day, and I consciously aim for the middle.
When I’m feeling especially inspired to get things done, I go for it. But I don’t let it consume me. I still take walks, call friends, and check in with myself throughout the day. I’m able to get a lot done, but I also feel steady and stable—not manic.
When I’m feeling uninspired and just want to wallow in fear and anxiety, I push myself to do a little work anyway. If I can’t do much, I don’t dwell. I give myself permission to try again tomorrow. But often, a little work feels good, and so I do a little more.
I don’t always strike the perfect balance, but I find that trying to do so is rewarding enough. It gets me closer to the middle than I ever would be otherwise.
This concept is especially applicable right now, in the midst of social distancing and everything that comes with it. But it’s something I think we can all use moving forward as well. After all, stress is inevitable. We’re experiencing a heavy dose of it right now, and we’re also learning important tools for managing it moving forward.
I’m curious if you struggle with Toxic Productivity and, if so, which end of the spectrum do you gravitate to most frequently? Also, what have you done to find the healthy balance between work and self-care? Please share your thoughts in the comments!
Bonnie Hodges says
Thank you for sharing this article. It is wise to be aware of where we are on this spectrum every day. I tend to go toward the consumed by work since it allows me to not face up to issues that I don’t want to deal with. This article provides advice on staying centered.
Thank you,
Bonnie
Melody Wilson says
Chrissy, thank you for sharing this article and giving me the words for what I have been experiencing. I was toxically consumed by work for about 4 years; and when COVID-19 hit, I began to ping pong between being toxically consumed by feelings and toxically consumed by work. Now I am exhausted and suffering with health issues. I need to find a healthy mix and work with my supervisor to turn down the work fire hose.
Heidi Warren says
Thank you as always, Chrissy, for providing your insight. Like Melody, I go back and forth between being consumed by feelings and being consumed by work, and this is true in both my work life and my home life. I have NOT been dealing with it very well; I become consumed with a feeling of overwhelm and failure, and eventually shutdown. I appreciate your words, as they help me see that I am NOT the only one who experiences this toxicity its results. I too have found that when I do move forward with a “little work”, I do feel better and having a sense of accomplishment, albeit it with “baby steps”, helps me to push forward. Thank you again!
Cheryl L Warren says
Chrissy, I appreciate the insight for an issue I could not really put my finger on for quite some time!
You have provided us with a good way to look at this imbalance and also suggestions for how to become more self-aware and maintain better balance. I also tend to be more consumed by work to a point of being Toxic—like Bonnie, I think most likely to avoid dealing with other issues.
Thank You for giving us hope and also permission to do better tomorrow if we don’t quite hit the mark today!!
Jenna says
Dear Chrissy,
I am certainly a “doer” so I do struggle with Toxic Productivity mostly on working too much. The pandemic actually helped me to take a step back and find a good balance, but since returning to work, there are days I struggle with it. I find that doing simple things, like taking a lunch break, exercising, and building in quiet times in the day help me balance out by drive to work and take inventory of how I am feeling. Thanks for sharing this article. It was timely, like so many of your trainings and articles. Like Garrison Keillor often said, “Be well, do good works, and stay in touch.”
Shelly Hoyt says
Thanks, I found that this put into words what I have been experiencing. I’m the opposite of everyone – I tend to be consumed with feelings and unable to work and be productive. Which then makes me worry more, because our company is reducing staff, so I fear that my performance isn’t good enough and I will be let go. I am trying to push myself to do easy tasks, and ease into harder ones!
Barbara-Denise Coetzer says
Thanks for sharing Chrissy. Like my colleages, I was unaware this existed. We all believe we are working well and to the best of our abilities, going the extra mile, however, during the COVID-19 period, we don’t realise how those stresses you mention actually do cause Toxic productivity.
I have a heavy workload during this period of time and have found myself going back and forth between tasks just to get things done; last week I decided to tackle one project at a time and I found that it worked easier; however, it is so easy to go back to the way where stress becomes a major factor.
I found the article illuminating and this has provided insight into what I have been doing.
I also agree with Bonnie, Melody, Heidi and Cheryl that finding oneself in that position is overwhelming.
Kellie Stegath says
Thank you Chrissy for the profound article! I am a fixer and people pleaser by nature. In times of crisis, I tend to begin fixing whatever I can to cope with stress at work and at home. I truly create an out of balance environment for myself. Like many, since the pandemic, I transitioned to work from home, strangely this gave me a new perspective on coping with stress and in return, gave me more balance. Your graphic above is a good visual to refer to and do check in’s with ourselves more often to find out where we are on that scale and determine if we need to do more or do less to bring back the balance. Breaks, walks, and reading uplifting articles are also very helpful. Thank you for all you do for the Administrative Professional community. Be well.
Monica Croteau says
Hi Chrissy, I am new to your channel… and I LOVE IT!!! You seem to hit the nail on the head with everything I have ever seen you produce.
I tend to gravitate (although slowly) to the “Consumed by feelings” side of the spectrum. It is usually spurred by work, however. I tend to go over the day in my head and then think, I should have done this or I wish I had done that, sometimes to where I have trouble turning off my mind for rest and relaxation.
I love your simple but intentional advise to make sure I am thinking about it… I look forward to putting this into practice so that I can be conscious and aware of where I am on the spectrum so that I can direct my thoughts and actions accordingly! GREAT advise!
Patricia Hutchison says
Hi Chrissy,
Thank you for this article. I’ve been working from home for six months. I bounced from one extreme to the other. Not finding that middle BALANCED place was having negative effects on my health and productivity. I had to do something. Here are some things that helped.
*Making a separate work area away from household distractions.
*Defining my dedicated work hours.
*Getting back to the gym regularly.
*Taking advantage of more down time to focus on personal and career development.
As a result, I am sleeping better, feeling better, and more engaged at work.
Thank you for the shot in the arm.