What is Productivity Anxiety and Do You Have It?
If there's one feeling that we're all familiar with at work, it's that fear that we just are not accomplishing enough and need to do more, more, more to prove ourselves (and keep our job).
This constant pressure to do more and be more and always have your eyes on the next target has a name: productivity anxiety.
In small doses, productivity anxiety can be a motivating factor, pushing you to work harder and achieve more than you thought you could. However, in larger amounts, it can leave you feeling overwhelmed, burnt out and downright miserable, which is not the healthiest state to be in.
What is Productivity Anxiety?
Productivity anxiety is the feeling that you can never do or be enough. It doesn't matter how many hours you work, projects you complete or goals you achieve—you keep moving the goalposts and demanding more and more of yourself. So much so that you can never truly relax without feeling guilty.
People with productivity anxiety might even choose hobbies that keep them "on" and performing, such as reading a self-help book over fiction because they feel like they are being more productive by learning something new rather than simply enjoying a story. It’s an unhealthy state to be in and burnout is commonplace.
What are the Signs of Productivity Anxiety?
Productivity anxiety is not necessarily a bad thing, or a cause for worry, until it becomes too much. Here are a few signs to watch out for:
- You rarely take breaks or time off, not even to take a quick walk outside.
- You feel guilty when resting.
- You worry constantly about unfinished projects, even when they seem to be progressing nicely.
- You frequently second-guess yourself after you’ve submitted work.
- You focus a lot on your co-workers' achievements, and connect your self-worth to what they are doing.
- You’re extremely sensitive when people comment on your work and feel bad when you perceive even the slightest hint of criticism.
- You put yourself under extra pressure by procrastinating, as your fear of not meeting your excessively high standards.
- You think of yourself as conscientious, but somehow still miss deadlines because you’re taking on too much.
- Your work follows you home like a monster in a horror movie.
If some of this sounds familiar, you’ve likely developed some degree of productivity anxiety. The good news is that this particular monster is quite easy to slay. The following steps can help you leave productivity anxiety behind for good:
#1. Prioritize
The first step is to create a list or chart of all your unfinished goals or assignments, in order of urgency or importance. This will prevent you from spreading your energies too thin by working on less urgent tasks while higher-priority responsibilities are neglected. If your manager or co-workers are creating bottlenecks in your workflow, tell them—and then make it their problem to adjust the timeline, not yours.
#2. Work collaboratively whenever you can
Sharing responsibilities will ease your burden, so don’t be afraid to do so when you can. Collaboration allows you to get more done in less time and, since the success is shared, it helps reduce the feeling that you have to outperform everyone else to earn respect.
#3. Replace negative self-talk with positive affirmations
Productivity anxiety is a mindset issue, so it can be managed by changing how you think about yourself and your work. Identify negative thoughts when they arise and consciously replace them with positive affirmations, such as “I am doing my best and my best is great” or “It’s okay to take a break.” This won’t transform your self-esteem overnight, but it will stop some of your worst self-sabotaging behavior.
#4. Create a better work-life balance
One way to stop obsessing over productivity is to create more time and space for your family, friends, hobbies and personal interests. Enlist the help of friends and loved ones to set boundaries so work doesn’t follow you home. Have them physically drag you away from the office if they have to!
#5: Use your perfectionism as a force for good
Instead of focusing your perfectionist tendencies on work, use them to achieve a more well-rounded lifestyle. For example, if you’re delivering exceptionally high quality at work, start applying the same standards to your relationships. It's unfair that your boss is getting 60 hours a week and your partner is getting leftovers—so refocus.
#6. Start saying ‘no’ a lot more often
It will go against your instincts at first. But after you get used to it, you’ll start feeling proud of yourself for standing your ground. Be especially ruthless with 'office housework' tasks that intrude on your real work, tasks you're picking up because someone else dropped the ball, and tasks you feel obliged to take on because of a shared responsibility.
#7. Be strict about your use of time
When there is work to be done, by all means, do it. But when there’s not, or it's just not urgent, walk away. Give yourself the grace to relax every now and then—you know it will increase your performance in the long run. Another tactic is to set strict limits on how much time you will devote to an assignment. If it is worth four hours of your time, make sure you don’t exceed that limit by more than an hour. Sometimes, the task is worth less and it’s better to just let it go.
#8. Remember your 'why'
Why are you in this job? Why did you agree to take on this project? What were you hoping to achieve? If you’re just going through the motions because it’s expected of you, or working on something that doesn’t align with your values or interests, it’s no wonder productivity anxiety is creeping in. Take a step back and reevaluate your motivations (take another look at your personality test results, perhaps?) and make sure you’re working towards something meaningful to you.
Bottom line? Overcoming productivity anxiety is not rocket science. It’s really just common sense, backed by an attitude that you are worth more than your work output. Remember that, and you’ll be well on your way to defeating the productivity monster for good.
