Ditch The Toxic Productivity

What is Toxic Productivity?

You hear the phrase “The American Dream” and think it’s a chance for anyone to succeed in this country, no matter where or what class they come from. Through sacrifices, risks, and hard work, anyone can achieve upwards social mobility. This idea is even programmed into children from a young age through ad slogans, tv, social media,toys and so much more.  Take Barbie for example - “I can be anything, I’m a barbie girl.” The idea that anyone can do anything is quite an optimistic outlook on life. Everyone has the opportunity to  make their dreams come true. However, this idea has also led to the diminishing of healthy work-life balances and  to a culture of toxic productivity. 

Working hard, making sacrifices, and taking risks should not include depriving yourself of the self care needed to live a healthy life. Sometimes we aren't even remotely aware that we’ve fallen into the toxic productivity trap. Have you ever had moments in your life where you just feel like you're not being productive enough and you need to be doing more? Even though in reality you are doing the best you can in that moment! That feeling really hit hard for a lot of people during this pandemic. Being stuck in quarantine made people feel like they weren’t doing enough with their time. Many people switched to working remotely and were able to do the same amount of work they would normally be doing in an office, yet they felt like they were doing so much less. Just being stuck at home made them feel lazy. So, how do we prevent ourselves from falling into the trap of wanting to be overly productive and get comfortable with knowing we are doing our best? 

How to be Positively Productive

Setting realistic goals is the best way to make sure you’re not overworking yourself. Take everything in your life into consideration when putting these goals on paper. Make sure the way you go about reaching your goals won’t interfere with your relationships and won’t make you lose sleep at night. After setting these goals, it’s important to remind yourself that sometimes plans change and life can be easier when you  go with the flow. If you find yourself confronted with a bump in the road, take it into consideration and rework your methodology. Meeting your set goals is supposed to be a fun and exciting journey, not a stressful one. If you find yourself continuously experiencing high levels of anxiety or panic then it’s a key sign that it’s probably time to reconsider and come up with a new plan. Don’t confuse reworking your goals with giving up. Adjustments along the way are important and you’re learning how to prioritize self care along with your work motivations! 

Start off your days with a positive attitude and mindset. Mediating in the morning can be a very relaxing way of rejuvenating yourself to take on the rest of the day. If meditating isn't your thing, simply starting the day by naming one thing you’re grateful for in the moment can massively impact your day and jump start it with an optimistic mindset.The words and thoughts that pass through us are very important because they manifest into our reality.  

There are many tricks and methods you can apply, that will help keep you on a positive productivity track.  While you are working, remember to take constant breaks. Stand up, walk around, throw on your favorite song and get your body moving in tiny bursts. It’s important to get your blood flowing for both health and focus. Otherwise, we find ourselves sitting for a long time which gradually slows us down and makes us lose our focus. Most importantly, don’t pull those 8+ hour grind. They aren’t effective and will only tire us out and can cause burn out. 

Listening to music has been proven to increase productivity and focus while reducing stress. It’s a great way to be productive without falling into the pressured feeling of having to work yourself to the bone. Carve out some time to have casual conversations with your coworkers and friends. It’s good to take breaks and communicate with others to prevent total isolation, especially during a pandemic. A quick text conversation or call can help reset your mind and make you feel fresh and ready to dive back into work. 

The New American Dream

Everyone wants to chase their dream and be successful, but being successful no longer means sleepless nights of hard work and days filled with stress or uninterrupted grinds. Don’t fall into a workaholic lifestyle while chasing your dreams. The New American Dream includes working smart, enjoying the process, and taking care of your fundamental needs. At Mishka Collective, we redefined success to include work life balance. It’s possible to structure your work and life to experience positive productivity. So if you find yourself struggling along the way or not enjoying the journey - please reach out. We are here to support you in building your vision while having so much fun in the process and learning new methods for enjoying the growth along the way. 

Working smart will save you time, energy, & your nervous system.

The new American dream, includes lifestyle that is beyond materialistic measure.