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Productivity guilt can make you feel like you need to keep working, even if you know yourself need a break. People can’t always perform at the same level every day, but in a busy culture, productivity trumps everything else. If you can’t perform at 100% every day, you may feel guilty.
Toxic productivity stems from the need to feel productive every waking hour. You may feel that you need to work rather than rest and maybe you are looking for something to do at home to keep your hands busy outside of regular working hours, such as: B. to clean the same place twice. Here are a few things you need to know about productivity debt and how it’s affecting your life — and how to suppress it.
1. Separate “busyness” from “productivity”
Some people will continue to take on new tasks just to keep themselves busy. Busyness can be harmful, especially when you’re not working on something of substance or value. It’s okay to step back and not work on something. What people might call lazy often is People who take care of themselves and try to prevent another burnout. You should always have your goals in mind and make decisions to prioritize them.
Related: What is more important to your business: productivity or efficiency?
2. Learn how to split tasks
People are not expected to work long hours without a break. When you feel like your mind is turning off from work, you need to take a break. If you’ve been sitting at a desk, stand up and look away from the screen. Your brain will be grateful for the opportunity to breathe.
Related: 10 tips to increase employee productivity and boost performance
Sometimes you might feel like you can’t take a break because of the amount of work you are responsible for. Then you need to learn how to split up your tasks effectively to save some parts for after the break. After each section, check to see if you’re still okay.
3. You must prioritize your health
If you overexert yourself in the name of productivity, you’re probably hurting yourself in other ways as well. Something else can contribute to your feeling of burnout, such as not getting enough sleep or not eating enough healthy foods. Your physical and mental health work together to your advantage.
Over 30% of working millennials struggle with mental health problems, namely depression, which can lead to several wrong decisions, such as trying harder at work or self-medication with addictive substances. Check in with yourself regularly to understand your state of mind. Your quests should challenge you in a good way, but when they do more harm than good, you may have to make a decision to protect your health.
4. Try to understand what drives it
Understanding your productivity debt is the first step to creating a plan to deal with it. Do you tend to be more anxious and think you’ll lose your job if you take enough breaks? If yes, what can you do to try this? take away some of that fear? You could talk to your manager or someone else about making better use of your time so that both you and your employer benefit.
5. Set realistic expectations for yourself
You can’t expect to have a highly productive day every day. You should try to improve a little every day, but you don’t have to work at 110% all the time. Some days you may not feel able to do the same work, and that’s okay. You need to set boundaries to make sure you are comfortable and treated fairly no matter how you are feeling that day. As long as you catch up on the days when you feel good enough, you can balance your responsibilities and be gentle with yourself without taking your productivity to unrealistic levels.
6. You need to be able to relax
Unfortunately, in such a busy world, you may feel the need to be productive every day. However, productivity is only important for tasks that you need to get done or want to get done. When you have some downtime to yourself, instead of looking for something productive, treat yourself to something fun. Although it may be uncomfortable at first, it can be good for you to relax and lower your stress levels.
Related: How to improve work-life balance and productivity when working remotely
7. Almost everyone experiences it
You’re not the only one feeling guilty about your productivity. Many people find it difficult to take a break or even to take it easy. One of the best things you can do for yourself is learn what What time of day are you most productive and try to optimize your work within that time frame. Everyone is different, so what works for you may not work for someone else. The best thing you can do is make an effort to improve your work habits and give yourself relaxation when you need it, while understanding that this feeling happens to most people quite often.
Fight productivity debt by taking care of yourself
By checking in with yourself regularly, you can better understand when to take breaks. Luckily, most employers and team members should understand when you need a break. After you relax, you may find that you’re more productive than ever since you’ve been feeling burned out and worried about your productivity. Sometimes you just need to prioritize yourself. Then you will see a return on investment in the form of easier and more efficient work.
