What is Productivity Guilt and How Can You Prevent It?

You get to the end of your work week. You crossed everything off your checklist. Now as you sit back to relax, you feel guilty about it. Does this sound familiar?

We are living in an ever-so-competitive world. Everyone is always talking about productivity and hustling, making full use of their time, and achieving as much as possible in the least amount of time possible. More often than not, we get sucked into this hustle culture. We judge our days based on how much work we get done that day. And an idle day often leads to feelings of guilt for not doing enough.

Productivity has become so intertwined with success that it has become a general belief that the more work you do, the more successful you become. It has become such an essential part of our social life that it becomes a condition of self-acceptance, often overwhelming our other priorities. But the fact remains that you can only do so much in a day, and constantly guilting yourself may lead you to always think about how you could have achieved more. This guilt of not doing enough may result in you creating an even more elaborate list for the next day.

This vicious cycle plagues almost everyone in some way or the other. The unreal expectation of oneself produces a feeling of anxiety when you feel you aren’t productive enough. The anxiety spills over into other spheres of your life. It becomes hard for you just to sit and enjoy the things you used to love or go on a fun outing with your family and friends. You make yourself vulnerable to imposter syndrome and burnout. Your physical and mental health start deteriorating while you feel worse about yourself. To escape this cycle, one must realize that their drive for productivity is doing more damage than good. Therapy can help you identify the reasons and enable you to make changes in your everyday life to establish a healthy work-life balance.

An Overview

Productivity guilt is a sustained feeling of guilt due to not achieving or being unable to complete things as planned. It can affect any aspect of your life, such as household duties, health, and wellness goals, work, etc. Productivity guilt can make you feel like you are not good enough or inadequate. It can also lead to stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout. And while being productive is not bad at all, overdoing it can impact your mental well-being. So, it is important to realize that taking short breaks in-between will not put you at the end of the queue.

Once we start setting unrealistic targets for the sake of productivity, we might get caught up in the vicious cycle of wanting to do more and not getting enough done. Over time, we may want to work even in our free time. We tend to neglect our hobbies, relationships, and even our sleep for the sake of a ‘productive day.’ We start determining our value based on the amount of work we do, which tends to take our self-esteem away.

This self-reproach often arises from dependence on external approval. Self-worth can be linked to productiveness and performance. In that way, when the performance is not up to mark, we feel regretful, as if we did something wrong. To feel good about ourselves, we push ourselves beyond productivity. Just like perfectionism, it drives us to do our best in everything. And even when work takes a toll on our personal lives, we tend to value our productivity more.

This can be attributed to the addictive feeling that arises from the satisfaction of achieving our goals. In such cases, for any task we check off our to-do list, our brain releases dopamine which gives us a feeling of satisfaction. The more tasks we complete, the more satisfaction we get. But this can also be a sort of immunity, as nothing is ever enough. Over time, we may strive to complete more complex tasks to attain that same level of satisfaction.

1. Identify the Reasons You Might Be Feeling Guilty

A combination of societal and personal beliefs often causes productivity guilt. We are but a product of the society we live in, and it tends to shape our beliefs accordingly. For some individuals, it could be the people around them telling them to earn as much as possible before a certain age to be successful, while for others, it might be their competitive work environment pushing them to stay late after office hours.

Some individuals take these beliefs to their heart and start judging their self-worth based on their achievements. Social and personal commitments thus tend to become distractions and disturbances. As we try and accomplish more to fuel our self-esteem, we end up setting unrealistic expectations for ourselves, where achieving a healthy work-life balance is almost impossible.

Often people also set unrealistic targets. However, they often don’t consider how some days might not be ideal for achieving those targets while some tasks may need more time than expected. The frustration of setting a target for the day and then being unable to achieve it can be overwhelming for some. And therefore, the nagging feeling of not having done enough persists, leading to pressure to do more in the coming days.

2. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

It doesn’t help to look at other people’s progress. While healthy competition is necessary for growth, when you are driven by just competition, it can cause stress. It is important to realize that you are different. You can’t let others’ achievement trouble your peace of mind. If you feel others are more productive, you don’t have to adopt their schedule. Do what suits you and your health best.

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3. Take Care of Yourself First

The first step towards caring for yourself is to understand that only monetary success doesn’t translate into productivity. Going out with your friends for a game can be counted as being productive because you are engaging in physical activity and, at the same time, having fun. You could also be sitting and talking with your family and consider that as productive because you are strengthening your family bonds. All these activities will let you slow down and take the necessary break from work. They will keep you emotionally and physically healthy.

Another important thing is to practice self-empathy. We are quick to see when our friends are pushing themselves too much. Once in a while, we need to be our own friends. Do encourage yourself to achieve your goals but also give yourself a break when exhausted. Indulge in self-care as much as you indulge in your work. Break the monotony of work and meetings by doing something that you enjoy.

4. Use Different Time Management Tools

Many people try to cram as much as possible in a limited time period. Often, it is bad time management that leads to incomplete tasks and guilt accompanied by that. Looking back at your time management and making changes that make you more efficient might benefit you greatly. Many time management tools are available in the market based on different factors. These tools include The Action Priority Matrix, Activity logs, To-do lists, Treasure Mapping, and Eisenhower’s Urgent/Important Principle.

These tools rely greatly on recording, planning, and reflecting on your activities. The first thing in planning is to prioritize dedicating your time to important things. Another important task is scheduling. Ensuring you do complex tasks when you are in a fresh state of mind can increase efficiency. These methods will work when time devoted to work is utilized well. Concentration and focus are necessary to make proper use of time.

5. Be Real About Your Expectations

When you are putting things on your to-do list, they might seem simple. But the picture may be different when it comes to getting things done. If you put too much on your plate, it may lead to guilt and frustration. Giving it your best and still having unfinished tasks at the end of the day can be demotivating. It can be hard for you to motivate yourself after this.

Instead of burdening yourself with too much, identify the most important tasks for the day. Make it your priority to get them done and give the remaining time of your work hours, if there are any, to other tasks. If there is no time, don’t go beyond the work hours and be comfortable leaving that work for the next day. Not everything needs to be done in a day. Understanding that you took care of what was vital will give you peace of mind, even if there are other things left to do.

6. Establish a Healthy Work-Life Balance

Don’t engulf yourself too much in work and goals that you forget to enjoy little moments of life. There is a constant need to disengage and recharge yourself. Not only will it prevent burnout, but it will also make you more effective by increasing your concentration and focus. Take a day off once in a while to connect with your family and friends. Move away from the mindset of earning as much as possible in the shortest amount of time. Success is not just based on your financial prowess. Your social connections and your physical and mental well-being also play a part.

Set apart time for your hobbies. It could be reading, exercising, learning some instrument, or playing some sport. These activities also play a part in your growth. Establish clear boundaries between your work and your hobbies. Avoid crossing these boundaries as much as possible. Consider your other personal commitments before committing extra time to your work. It’s okay not to achieve everything at the same age as others. You are a different person and should work at your own pace.

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Are you constantly worried about not achieving enough? Does it make you feel guilty not to check everything off your to-do list? Is it causing you chronic stress? No, it is not a normal part of life. It can lead to serious mental health concerns in the long term.

Schedule an appointment with a trusted therapist to discuss your emotional situation. Let them guide you on how to tackle your productivity guilt. Book an appointment today, and don’t let guilt take over your self-worth.