What is Toxic Productivity, the Scourge of Our Age?

In today’s world, we constantly have to do something, and when we don’t do something, we miss the world and people other than us; he was falling behind We feel like.

We have a never-ending to-do list and we constantly pressure ourselves about it. Here it is, “toxic productivity” occurs and can cause serious health problems.

Let’s start from the basics. What is toxic productivity?

Toxic productivity is roughly; As a result of trying to be productive by thinking that our self-worth and productivity level are parallel, our emotional, mental and physical health We can define it as a negative impact.

It occurs with an unhealthy sense of obligation to always be productive, and over time our relationships, our general quality of life It can affect very badly.

Where did this toxic productivity come from to haunt us?

We grow up in environments that equate work with virtue and rest with laziness. These environments that our self-worth depends on our achievements It encourages the perfectionism we feel.

Social media, in particular, fosters a constant sense of competition. triggers toxic productivity. When we see people doing something on social media, we feel like we spend all their days busy and we feel like we are falling behind.

The pandemic has further strengthened this trend.

When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out; a way to maintain a sense of “purpose” As a company, we forced ourselves to do something and concentrate on our work. When GDP fell in the pandemic, our fear increased and we felt pressure to get the GDP level back to where it was before.

For example, after the pandemic, there was a 192% increase in weekly meetings. In short, we have a lot of meetings, we collaborate a lot with our teammates and harsh working conditions We are trying to adapt.

So how can we break free from this cycle and inner pressure?

Psychologist Cathleen Swody suggests that the action you plan to take To find out if it really matters ourselves “Why will this work be important in the future? “Do I do this because I think it’s necessary for a goal or to prove myself to others?” He suggests us to ask questions.

Also an academic in psychology at Harvard, Dr. Dattilo, at dinner or while walking to relieve this feeling. getting away from the phone and computer, He recommends mindfulness strategies, such as making a cup of tea and taking a few minutes to drink it. We may extend the duration of these strategies over time.

On the other hand, say “No” to the expectations and requests from those around us. We need to learn to say. Of course, most importantly, getting support from a therapist We can discover the most appropriate coping methods for ourselves when it comes to toxic productivity.

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