The term “toxic productivity”, although not a scientific term, is often used to denote the tendency of some people to be overcome by guilt or anxiety, when they feel like they are not productive.
Think about this: The year is 2020, a strange virus pops up out of nowhere in an unknown city in China, and your life feels like an episode of Black Mirror (old but gold). Among loads of government decisions, panic, supermarkets without toilet paper, online courses, and while the days start to blur together, you try to maintain the illusion of structure in your now disorganized and chaotic daily life. And somewhere along the line toxic productivity comes knocking at your door.
Undoubtedly, the period when most people discovered this particular concept, and its implications, was the early months of the pandemic. Universities, schools, shops, all closed, many people lost their jobs, and others were required to learn to work from home. People were suddenly confronted with too much free time, which, although they had been asking for it for years, now seemed endless and boring. “And now what?”
The paradox with productivity is that, on the one hand, it helps us achieve our goals, but on the other hand, it can derail us and block our path towards them and our dreams.
Toxicity is synonymous with being unhealthy, poisonous, and deadly. So how is it possible that something seemingly innocent, such as working or reading, can turn into something so harmful and destructive? The answer is probably not so obvious.
The concept of toxic productivity often ‘flirts’ with that of capitalism. Capitalist society, where money is an end in itself, combined with our exposure from an early age to a culture of competition and constant comparison, has contributed to “attaching” our self-esteem to our work or academic performance. In the end, we find ourselves lost in a maze of self-criticism and anxiety, which is far from healthy and productive.
Now you will argue: “How can I be productive when Emma – and every Emma – from California with the blue tick showing off next to her username reminds me every second on social media how productive she is?” And I will have to agree. Morning routines of millionaires, study with me videos, or even live broadcasts, the marketplace called the internet has it all, take your pick and choose! “Yes, but if Jeff Bezos can get up before six, why can’t I?” (…no one ever said it, but for the sake of this article let’s pretend they did). The problem with the so-called motivational content occurs when we go through the process of setting unrealistic goals for our capabilities and stamina. So, if Jeff Bezos wasn’t Jeff Bezos, but was Bob the delivery guy, Maria from the pharmacy, Jimmy with the mini-market next door, how much would you care, if he woke up before six?
If you put aside the dark side of it though, you’ll notice that healthy productivity has proven benefits for your mental health as well as your behavior and daily life. It offers a sense of security and satisfaction and in some cases acts as a distraction from other, perhaps bigger, problems.
In closing, it will sound like a cliché, but in order to avoid the trap of toxic productivity – or to get out of it, if you’ve already fallen into it (Oh hey there, long time no see!) – all you can do is stop being hard on yourself. If you give yourself permission to relax a bit and let go of the thought that your personal worth hangs on how hardworking or productive you are, if you learn to swim before you drown in shallow waters, then everything else will become easier…
