Why I’m Rethinking My Relationship with Productivity

The Perils of "Pathological Productivity"

Hi friends,

I’ve just returned home from a whirlwind trip that included stops in London and NYC. I relish the fact that travel gives me a fresh vantage point on my everyday life. I’m able to zoom out and see certain patterns of behavior from new perspectives. I often return home motivated to try to make some changes.

One of the reflections I had on this recent trip is that I have an almost obsessive need to be productive. I’m constantly trying to optimize my time—sometimes on the order of minutes—so that I can accomplish as many tasks as possible throughout my day. If I find myself in a long line or in a waiting room without my phone, I’ll start to panic—not necessarily because of the threat of boredom, but because I hate the idea of wasting precious time. I also do a lot of multi-tasking. My internal monologue will go something like this: Let me listen to the latest edit of a podcast episode while unloading the dishwasher or doing my laundry. Or: Maybe I should wait to make a call to schedule a doctor’s appointment so that it aligns with my walking commute to work?

These sorts of optimizations can seem relatively harmless—you’re getting more done! (And on the multi-tasking front, sometimes pairing tasks can enhance your well-being; the on-hold music of my doctor’s office isn’t exactly a chart-topper.) But in my conversation with psychiatrist Dr. Judith Joseph for an episode of A Slight Change of Plans, she told me that this kind of mentality can actually be pernicious over time.

Judith talks about how “pathological productivity” can slowly erode our well-being, keeping us from deep rest, caring for ourselves, and spending time on activities that bring us joy. When I reflect on how my own inclination toward constant productivity might be affecting me, two things come to mind:

1) I feel quite scatterbrained on any given day and I feel like I’m slowly losing my attention span, which is such a precious resource

2) Outside of when I’m engaging in truly fun activities like spending time with friends or traveling, I feel a constant sense of unease when I’m not making progress toward my goals. The need to be productive has an almost addictive quality to it as there’s always more I could be doing in any given moment.

So going forward, I’m going to try to be much more mindful about how I view my relationship with accomplishing things. I keep reminding myself that there is no award given to us at the end of our lives for making the “most” of every single minute. And, even if there were, does this narrow definition of “most” align with my deepest values? What if making the most of a moment sometimes means feeling centered, calm, and mindful?

If this resonates with you, I recommend listening to my full conversation with Dr. Joseph, “When Productivity Becomes Pathological.” Dr. Joseph talks about the importance of the “5 Vs” (Validation, Venting, Values, Vitals and Vision) and how they can help if you’re feeling like you’re never doing enough and are stuck in a cycle of overwhelm. You can hear more about each of them in the episode, so I’ll share just one here.

Reclaim Your Values. Your highest values probably don’t include “checking the most items off my to-do list.” Getting clear on your values can help you figure out how you want to spend your time and attention, so that productivity for its own sake doesn’t become your north star. Science shows that having a clear purpose can add years to your life, so try to tap into what is truly important to you, and pursue activities that bring you meaning. For Dr. Joseph, it has been connection with others, curiosity, and learning. For you, it might be nature, faith, or service. (Side note: another podcast guest, Brené Brown, also has a great list of values.) If you’re struggling to identify yours, Dr. Joseph recommends asking yourself the following questions:

• How do I want to be remembered?

• When was the last time I felt fed, full, and content?

• What makes me feel excited to get out of bed in the morning?

• Whom do I admire and what is it that I love about them?

• What was I passionate about as a kid?

I’d love to hear from you in comments about your own experience with pathological productivity. With that in mind, here are your prompts for the week:

• What does your version of “pathological productivity” look like and how has it affected you?

• How do you reset when you get trapped in this mode?

Before I sign off, I wanted to tell you about a podcast that I love:

What should you do with your life? If you’ve reached the midpoint of the year and you’re feeling adrift, alone, or burned out, check out the new “You 2.0” series from our friends at the Hidden Brain podcast. All July, host Shankar Vedantam and the Hidden Brain team will bring you research-driven ideas and insights about purpose, passion, and well-being. Find the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

If you enjoyed this post, please do subscribe and share it with your friends. It’ll help me create more content moving forward for all of you!

Maya 💫