The Hidden Cost of Always Being Productive

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Modern culture prizes busyness. We celebrate packed calendars, early mornings, and the idea that rest must be earned. Extreme productivity is celebrated and admired, and people brag about their lack of sleep and vacations because they have so much to do.

For many, this glorification of hustle culture becomes more than just a habit—it turns into a deeply ingrained identity. This is especially true of individuals who have avoidant attachment, or when people have been socially rewarded over and over again for their productivity by those around them, leading them to overidentify with productivity as an important part of their self-concept.

This pattern is often referred to as toxic productivity, which is defined as a compulsive need to continue producing, achieving, and striving, even to the point of physical or emotional exhaustion. Unlike healthy ambition, toxic productivity is driven by anxiety, self-shame, and an over-attachment of self-worth to what they do and achieve—a pattern in which individuals determine their value based primarily on their performance and productivity (Crocker & Wolfe, 2001). Over time, the pursuit of excellence morphs into avoiding dealing with problems in other spheres of life, leading to a buildup of chronic stress and, eventually, emotional and physical burnout.

Why Do People Fall Into Toxic Productivity?

Research has consistently shown that individuals with high levels of perfectionistic tendencies and performance-based self-esteem are more prone to overworking at the expense of their psychological and physical health (Hill & Curran, 2016; Stoeber et al., 2018). There are three primary reasons people are prone to toxic productivity as a way to cope.

First, people often fall into toxic productivity as a way to avoid dealing with uncomfortable thoughts and emotions. Emotional avoidance is a strong motivator for overworking because productivity becomes a coping strategy. It becomes a way to avoid distressing emotions such as anxiety, grief, shame, or loneliness. In contrast, the relentless focus on “doing” offers a sense of control and distraction from internal states of discomfort (Hayes et al., 1996).

Second, many people—particularly those with insecure attachment styles—develop the belief that their value is contingent upon what they accomplish (often emblematic of the avoidant attachment style) or what others think of them (often associated with the anxious attachment style). When love, attention, or safety in childhood was tied to achievement or making sure you have a pulse on others' reactions toward you, rest or stillness in adulthood can unconsciously feel threatening (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007) and trigger a fight-or-flight response.

Third, social comparison can put pressure on people to "do as others do." Social media platforms often showcase curated images of success and hustle, and as viewers, we don't always realize that these feeds are a highlight reel that is extremely curated and edited before being shown to followers. This creates a distorted benchmark and contributes to upward social comparison, which has been linked to decreased well-being and self-esteem (Appel et al., 2016).

Signs You’re Caught in Toxic Productivity

Because toxic productivity is often praised in professional and academic environments, its red flags can be hard to identify. This is because toxic productivity can be quite ego-syntonic. This means that the behaviors are experienced by the person doing them as natural, acceptable, or appropriate, even though they have negative consequences.

Here are five common indicators that you might be caught in a toxic productivity pattern. If one or more of these describes you some or most of the time, it might be time to rethink your approach to busyness.

• Persistent feelings of guilt or anxiety during rest for no reason
• Diminished satisfaction or feelings of emptiness after completing tasks
• Self-worth measured primarily by how much you accomplish in a given day
• Irritability or even panic during unscheduled time, such as weekends and vacations
• Inability to articulate the deeper “why” behind your busy schedule when asked

A Reframe Exercise: From Performance to Values

To move out of toxic productivity, it's important to shift from a performance-based identity to a values-based life.

Values are the deeply held life directions or guiding principles that reflect what truly matters to you and how you want to show up in the world. They are not things you can check off a list and are therefore different from goals. Goals are outcomes, whereas values are directions you want to move toward in life because they represent what's most important to you. I like to think of values as your personal compass. Every person's values are different, and even our definitions of each value (like community, spirituality, or adventure, to name a few) are different.

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Research from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) suggests that living in accordance with personal values promotes psychological flexibility and greater well-being (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999). When you align your values with your goals, this is when you can experience joys from achievement and productivity as well as meaningfulness and purpose. It not only bolsters motivation when you do commit to a goal, but also helps you to maintain balance and boundaries when it's healthier to do so.

Here's an exercise that I like to teach my clients that is easy to do on your own.

1. Identify Core Values
Identify your top three values (e.g., creativity, connection, integrity, growth, freedom). To help, you can use my free Values Card Sort or look up a values list or values cards online. If you have trouble with this part of the exercise, ask yourself these questions:

• What matters beyond achieving?
• What are the ideas you want your life to stand for?
• How would you like people to talk about you when you're not present?

2. Audit Time Usage
Review your schedule from the past week, and ask yourself whether your commitments reflect those values. Does each item or activity you put on your to-do list either 1) fulfill or touch on at least one of your top three values, or 2) represent a responsibility that you must fulfill (like paying the bills, doing laundry, or repairing something in the house)? If you find that a handful of items are neither 1 nor 2 above, then the next step of this exercise will be a crucial one for you.

3. Make a Micro-Adjustment
For the next week, switch out some of these tasks that don't fulfill a top value for ones that help you to work toward valued directions. One example would be to decline working on a new project and use that time instead to have a phone date with a close friend whom you haven't spoken to in a while.

The Takeaway

Toxic productivity often masquerades as ambition or dedication and can be truly rewarding to a point, but in reality, chronic toxic productivity at the exclusion of other activities disconnects us from joy, health, and purpose. By identifying our values and allowing them to guide our decisions, we can reclaim time, intention, and our well-being.