In our workaholic society, we face an invisible productivity crisis: one that impacts every professional, young and old. It’s a conceptual predicament that permeates through our offices, our corporate cultures, and into our personal lives. Pop culture stories tell us that by working hard we can earn a great life. But our obsession with the hustle and the “#grind” has taken this idea too far, and we are paying for it with our mental health and wellbeing.
This idea purports itself on social media. We see photos of our family taking vacations on Facebook, our peers accomplishing career goals on LinkedIn, and our friends maintaining social lives on Instagram. We are constantly bombarded with stories of success, which increases the pressure we feel to meet these unattainable standards.
Yet there is little focus in these narratives on the idea of personal wellbeing and true contentment. While striving to constantly achieve as much as we possibly can, society has lost its emphasis on finding personal peace of mind. It’s as though relaxing is a muscle, and through our lack of practice, we’ve forgotten how to use it.
An Invisible Productivity Crisis
Starting as children, we are taught that our ability to maintain an unreasonably busy schedule is something to be celebrated. This focus on doing as much as possible has made us forget an important element of peace: being. We’ve lost our ability to be present in the moment, always placing pressure on ourselves to work in order to earn our rest.
Our work culture is hurting us, and the proof is in the pudding. Mental health issues have skyrocketed along with the number of hours the average person works each week. We have shaped our identity around the constant pursuit of accomplishing 100 tasks each day and advancing all areas of our lives, all of the time.
Unlearning a Toxic Culture
It wasn’t until I moved abroad that I realized how truly insidious this culture can be. I came to Spain and found that people here work to live, rather than live to work. They prioritize time with family and friends over their jobs, enjoying drinks outside and hanging out even on weekdays. There is a pervasive sense of contentment that resides over the people here, which comes from prioritizing rest and recreation.
In short: their self-worth is not in any way tied to their productivity.
Meanwhile, I was feeling this sense of failure and dread if I hadn’t finished my entire to-do list at the end of each day. Acclimating has been a process of unlearning the toxic work culture I was taught, and finding my own personal balance between self-care and productivity.
Two Sides of the Same Coin
At first, peace and productivity appear to be opposites, losing one while you pursue the other. Yet the truth is that a well-rested, contented, and calm mind can reach productivity levels like you’ve never known before.
Recent research in Iceland tested what happens when companies reduced working hours or allowed four-day workweeks. They found that under this schedule, employees maintained the same, if not higher levels of productivity, while also improving their mental wellbeing.
Focusing on taking care of yourself, resting, and doing things you love can benefit your personal and professional life. Overworking that leads to burnout harms our creativity and innovation, reducing our ability to contribute to society. We must force ourselves to carve out time to relax, meditate, journal, and practice being present. We must begin questioning why so much of our self-esteem and identity has been wrapped up in what we accomplish in the workplace.
Finding peace is an elusive state of being which many people would pay millions to find. It’s time to start exercising our self-care muscles to learn how to be present again.
No products in the cart. 