The Danger of Toxic Productivity And How To Avoid It

It seems like today’s society is centered around hustle culture. People are always on the go, moving from one task to the other. Tumblr pages, Instagram accounts, and YouTube channels are made just devoted to glamorizing the art of studying. Podcasts and books are written on the importance of hustling and getting things done. Being productive can be an amazing feeling. I know I feel terrific when I finish hours and hours of schoolwork and finally collapse into bed at the end of the day, ready to watch a movie. However, productivity culture can be incredibly toxic, draining, and highly damaging to mental health. There’s a fine line that you have to walk between toxic productivity and good productivity. Here are some ways to stay balanced while avoiding toxic productivity.  

First of all, it is highly important to not compare yourself to others. It can be easy to scroll endlessly through social media or visit YouTube channels centered around maximum productivity and earning straight A’s and feel intimidated. There is a balance you have to make between being inspired by those types of influencers and not comparing yourself. Your journey is your journey and you will reach your accomplishments! Just work hard, stay humble, and make sure you carve in time each day to take ample breaks. 

Which brings me to my next point – take sufficient breaks. For me, I try not to spend all my breaks during the day in bed mindlessly scrolling through TikTok. I make sure to utilize breaks to do things that I love while also keeping my brain active. I love to play piano in my spare time, paint, read another chapter of a new book, or workout. Getting my body moving and my brain thinking while also stepping back from my desk is a great way to chill out while also not completely losing motivation to get back to work once the break’s done with. 

Getting sleep is the best way to recharge and get ready for a new day. Accordingo this article by Anthony Komaroff, M.D. from Harvard Health, we as college students need at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night, and anything less than that can lead to adverse health outcomes (diabetes, chronic stress, obesity, lack of energy, etc). Productivity culture is literally toxic. Classes today make it nearly impossible to get everything done while also managing a social life, a job, an internship, extracurriculars, leadership positions, or anything else that students have to do to keep afloat in today’s competitive world — especially now that schools have gone virtual. The next time you’re tempted to stay up and pull an all-nighter just because you feel like you need to make another A, remind yourself that you need sleep, and sleep will help your brain rest, recharge, and prepare for the difficult day ahead. 

The mind and the body are so deeply interconnected. Your mind feeling stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, or any other negative emotions is sure to adversely impact your body. When we suddenly went virtual, things changed in a matter of mere days, there was so much confusion, and I pulled constant all-nighters just to get work done that I simply did not have the energy or motivation to complete. My mental and physical health went down the drain, which led to me slacking during the day and pulling more all-nighters. The entire time, due to the power of social media and studyblr accounts, I felt bad because I kept thinking I was the only student out there who was unable to cope and struggling to keep up. 

You are NOT alone. Life as a student is not easy, and will not continue to be easy. Just remember to be gentle on yourself, break up your work into chunks, and depend on the people around you for support. Like I said, the mind and the body are deeply intertwined. If you firmly set your mind to accomplishing just a handful of small goals every single day and work towards them with confidence, you will perform better in class as well as get more accomplished in one go. And if you don’t? That’s okay. You will be okay. It’s taking care of yourself and your well-being that matters the most. 

Remember the fine line between good productivity and toxic hustle culture, and make sure you stay on that line. It’s your safe space. 

 

• mental health