Have you ever felt like you’ve worked hard towards a goal, but it never comes together?
Making you think that if you really want to achieve this goal, you’ve got to hustle…and end up sinking into the trap of toxic productivity.
Don’t get us wrong. It’s great to be productive, but toxic productivity…well, that’s a different beast altogether.
At its core, toxic productivity makes you feel like you have to hustle 24/7 to achieve your goals. It believes rest is a waste of time and that only if you go, go, go will you get the freedom lifestyle you crave.
Friend…that’s not true.
You can live a beautiful life full of time, love, health, and monetary wealth, and safe-proof your business without hustling.
How? Today, we’re digging into the top signs of toxic productivity and how to fix them.
Sign #1: You find it hard to hit pause or shut off from work
If it’s hard to watch the latest Netflix documentary or read a book for fun without flipping through client texts, that’s toxic productivity.
Feeling like you have to respond to every DM ASAP or be in every workshop there is is overwhelming, exhausting, and toxic.
You can’t pour from a full cup. You have to make the time to refuel, rest, and rejuvenate to keep showing up with a full heart for your clients.
How to cure this toxic productivity trait
Make time to turn off. Set aside time on your calendar to relax. Do you set aside time to relax onSunday and do no chores? Is there anything you can do in your daily routine that allows you to turn off and just be you for a while?
Being able to shut down on a daily basis is key to healing toxic productivity.
Sign #2: You feel guilty when you aren’t productive
If you lay awake at night and watch your to-do list scroll across your ceiling The Queen’s Gambit-style, we’ve got to break it to you…you’re experiencing toxic productivity.
It’s natural to sometimes feel frustrated when you don’t get everything crossed off your list. But if your mind is spinning with everything you could’ve/would’ve/should’ve done, that is toxic.
Sometimes, your days and weeks don’t always go as planned. You deserve grace and kindness, not a mental recitation of what you did wrong.
How to cure this toxic productivity trait
Luckily, there’s a few things you can do to help.
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Be realistic about your schedule. If you have a full day of appointments, don’t add office hours to your task list for the day. (Here’s more help on how to set up your week.)
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Split your list into four sections: to do ASAP, schedule for later, delegate or ask for help on, and delete.(Kendra of The Lazy Genius digs more into this in her podcast.)
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Practice meditation or breathwork at night if your mind won’t stop spinning. Here’s a quick video showing an easy breath to help you relax.
Sign #3: You have problems with your health or personal relationships
Around here, we believe a wealthy life has four pillars: time, health, love, and money. If you let any of those pillars slip—especially health and love—to work more, that’s the trap of toxic productivity.
When you consistently prioritize work above your own health or personal relationships, like:
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Skipping your lunch break to fit more clients in
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Missing drinks with your friends because that one client wants to come in at eight
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Working yourself past exhaustion to take all those new guests
…you’re focusing on the wrong things to build a wealthy life.
Yes, you might have more money, but without your health, time, and love, it feels meaningless.
How to cure this toxic productivity trait
It all comes down to one word: boundaries. Taking your lunch and rest breaks is a boundary. Putting your phone away when you’re with loved ones is a boundary. Going to the doctor is a boundary. Protect yours.
Sign #4: You have unrealistic expectations
When you want rapid growth and push yourself too hard to get there, that’s a sign of toxic productivity.
Listen, we all wake up every day and want to do well. But if you expect to achieve at an incredible level daily and kick yourself when something goes haywire, that’s toxic.
Faster, bigger, more, and the hurry mentality creates a sloppy mess, not the results you’re looking for. It can even lead to burnout.
How to cure this toxic productivity trait
Lean into being flexible. If the day doesn’t go exactly as planned, but you got your must-do tasks done, that’s a win. Celebrate it and rest, knowing you can pick up where you left off tomorrow.
Sign #5: You’re generally restless
If you feel guilty about taking time off, you’re stuck in toxic productivity.
Listen, as business owners, it’s hard to step back from what we put our heart and soul into, right? But if your self-worth is so tied into checking things off the to-do list, you’re setting yourself up for burnout.
How to cure this toxic productivity trait
Schedule solid time off and trust the systems you’ve put in place to support your business while you’re gone. Take advantage of that vacation time (and put your phone on do not disturb).
Next, set aside dedicated office hours to work on certain business tasks. If those tasks come up during your day, add them to your office hours list. Then you can focus on the task at hand and know you have set aside time to work on those projects.
Making the mindset shift out of the toxic hustle culture and into balance of rest and work is hard. Recognizing these toxic productivity signs can help you stay focused and ready to tackle your biggest goals yet!
Want some help creating productive goals without the toxicity? Join Britt for our 8th annual Goal Setting Workshop on October 9, 2022! Enroll here.