Toxic Productivity: When "Doing More" Leaves You Feeling Less
You wake up, reach for your phone, and before your feet touch the ground, you’ve already scrolled through a LinkedIn success story, a “5am club” thread, and a viral video on “how to make every minute count.” There’s barely time to yawn before the guilt creeps in.
Welcome to hustle culture, where “rest” is rebranded as “laziness,” your worth is measured in to-do lists, and even your downtime should be maximised. (If you’re not meal-prepping, upskilling, or side-hustling, do you even exist?)
If you’re reading this with a cup of coffee in one hand and your task manager open in another window, you’re not alone.
What Is Toxic Productivity?
Let’s be clear - there’s nothing wrong with working hard or setting goals. Ambition is great. But toxic productivity is what happens when “doing” takes over everything else. It’s that nagging sense that no matter what you accomplish, it’s never enough.
You might recognise it if:
Finishing a project only gives you a fleeting relief - quickly replaced by the need to start another.
Resting feels uncomfortable, unearned, or even dangerous.
You feel guilty watching TV unless you’re also folding laundry, answering emails, or learning Mandarin.
Your out-of-office reply is a lie. (You’re never really “out.”)
You have a persistent fear of falling behind - even if you don’t know what you’re racing toward.
Sound familiar? If so, you might be trapped in the productivity hamster wheel. And spoiler: it never stops turning on its own.
Why Is Hustle Culture So Hard to Escape?
Millennials, in particular, got a front-row seat to hustle culture. Many of us were told we could be anything - if we worked hard enough. (But, you know, also paid off student loans, built a personal brand, drank enough water, and became a homeowner by age 25.)
Social media hasn’t helped. It bombards us with highlight reels of people “crushing it,” “grinding,” or “living their best life.” The unspoken message? If you’re not hustling 24/7, you’re not doing enough.
But here’s the secret nobody tells you: Productivity for productivity’s sake doesn’t fill you up. If anything, it slowly hollows you out.
The Emotional Cost of Toxic Productivity
Toxic productivity doesn’t just make you tired - it chips away at your sense of self. Over time, it can show up as:
Anxiety and Overthinking: “Am I doing enough? Am I falling behind?”
Imposter Syndrome: “Everyone else seems to manage - why can’t I?”
Burnout: Emotional exhaustion, brain fog, and a lack of motivation (no matter how many motivational podcasts you listen to).
Loss of Joy: Hobbies become “content.” Downtime becomes “unproductive.”
If you want to learn more about burnout and anxiety, you might enjoy my article on the Early Signs of Burnout.
Signs You’re Caught in the Hustle Trap
Let’s call it what it is - a trap. Here are some clues:
You can’t remember the last time you finished a workday without feeling behind.
You multitask relaxation (“I’ll do yoga, but only if I can listen to a career podcast at the same time.”)
“Should” has become your most-used word: “I should be working,” “I should be learning,” “I should be doing more.”
You feel like you need to earn your rest - every. single. time.
If the idea of a lazy Sunday fills you with dread (or you can’t remember your last one), your productivity might be less about passion and more about pressure.
Rest Isn’t a Reward - It’s a Necessity
Let’s try something radical: What if you didn’t need to “earn” rest? What if you could take a break simply because you’re human - not because you ticked off enough boxes on your Trello board?
Rest isn’t the opposite of productivity - it’s what makes productivity possible. Your brain and body need time to recalibrate. That’s not laziness; it’s biology.
Practical Ways to Push Back on Toxic Productivity
Name the Voice:
Notice when your inner critic says, “You should be doing more.” Whose voice is that, really? Is it helpful, or just making you feel bad?Set Realistic Boundaries:
Try one tech-free hour a day, or a “no work emails after 7pm” rule. (Start small. No need to announce a digital detox on Instagram just yet.)Reclaim Your Hobbies:
Do something just for fun. Not for a side hustle, a LinkedIn post, or your personal brand - just because you enjoy it.Practice Doing Nothing:
Schedule real downtime. Yes, literally put it in your calendar. Watch how hard it is. Notice what comes up. Be gentle with yourself.Talk About It:
You’re not the only one feeling this way. Share your experience with friends, colleagues, or a therapist. Vulnerability is powerful (and far more productive than pretending you’re fine).
When to Seek Support
If your sense of worth is tightly bound to your output, or if rest feels like an impossible luxury, you might benefit from talking things through with someone. Therapy offers a space to explore what drives your need to always be “switched on,” to build healthier boundaries, and to reconnect with a version of you that isn’t always exhausted.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by pressure, you might also like my articles - “I’m Fine”: The Corporate Millennial’s Guide to Quietly Falling Apart and Understanding anxiety: Personal stories & practical solutions. They offer stories, tips, and (hopefully) the kind of reassurance that hustle culture doesn’t provide.
You’re Allowed to Be a Human Being, Not a Human Doing
The world won’t fall apart if you slow down. In fact, you might just find you have more to give - creatively, emotionally, and relationally - when you stop running on empty.
If you’d like a space to work through the tangled mess of modern work culture, perfectionism, and pressure, I offer online therapy sessions across the UK and in-person in Barry, South Wales. You can book a free 15-minute consultation here. No judgement, no to-do lists - just space to breathe.
Because you’re more than your productivity.
And honestly, “doing nothing” can be the bravest thing you do all week.
