Combatting Productivity Guilt
There is a lot of information floating around regarding ways to be more productive. From the lists to make, affirmations to recite, how to schedule tasks, how to set up routines, and the list goes on. The information seems limitless. The reality is being productive is different for different individuals. This has always been true but with the growing social media usage, I think it can be easy to compare what our productivity looks like with others.
It seems that individuals that are constantly meeting their goals rapidly and with ease are getting praise. Sometimes we can begin to accept the idea that we need to always be working on something. Whether it is a new project, cleaning our home while the babies nap, another degree, a side hustle after we’ve worked our 9-5, starting a new business, etc. We can sometimes feel guilty about resting when “we could be productive”.
I have seen clients who struggle with “productivity guilt”. Productivity guilt is the negative feeling that we get that we should be doing more. This feeling may arise when we decide to take a nap instead of tackling an item on our list. It can arise when we decide to sit down and watch a tv show instead of a meal plan for the week.
The phenomenon of “productivity guilt” has increased with social media usage. We can easily look at what another person’s productivity looks like (more specifically what they are sharing) and feel like we aren’t doing enough.
We also often speak in terms of productivity. For example, questions such as “what have you been up to?; What have you been doing?” are met with praise when we speak about the degree we are pursuing or the business we are starting, etc. Not very often is praise given when we answer that we have taken time to rest. If we are speaking about rest, usually people are asking when it will end and when we will be back to accomplishing our goals.
I have seen clients who have worked all day and yet feel so bad about themselves every night because they can’t muster the energy to work on their side hustle. They feel as if “they should” be doing that because “everyone” is doing it. Now, whether that is true or not, I am here to continue to advocate for rest. I think being productive and chasing those goals are amazing and I’m cheering people on as they do that. At the same time, I think rest is important more specifically, REST WITHOUT GUILT is important.
Here are some strategies that may help to normalize rest and combat the guilt:
Schedule Rest. It may seem like it is not necessary to do it but we are more likely not to do something if we don’t schedule it or write it down. So, schedule in when you’ll sit down and watch that TV show. Or when you’ll take that 20 mins nap. I have had clients who will just schedule “Rest” on their calendar and that time can be whatever they want it to be that is restful. Plus it’s a bonus thing to check off the list for those people who get a thrill in checking items off a to-do list :)
Recite Rest Affirmations. Affirmations can be effective in helping change our beliefs about ourselves. While affirmations are often used to be productive, we can use them to also normalize rest in ourselves. Here are some of my favorite ones:
“I deserve rest and relaxation”
“Rest is productive”
“I am my best self when I am well rested”
Write down Rest Moments. It is easy to think that napping will take time away from the tasks we need to do. Or taking time to go for a walk alone during a busy day will make it harder for us to get back into accomplishing mode. Research actually shows that rest can actually make us more productive. It gives our brain a moment to relax and unwind. So, I suggest to clients that when they have a successful rest moment to write it down so they can remember next time. This may look like a nap that was taken in the middle of the day and they found that they woke up well-rested and ready for the second half of the day. Or deciding to go to bed early and find that the next day they feel less sluggish and accomplished more. By recalling these moments, it gives an opportunity to normalize rest in a moment when we may not want to and remind ourselves that the rest was beneficial before and it probably will be beneficial again.
Have you struggled with “productivity guilt”? What strategies have you used to combat it? Please share in the comments.