The mindset of toxic productivity & how to get rid of it

Toxic Productivity. Have you ever heard that term? It could also be called internalized hustle culture or a symptom of imposter syndrome. Toxic Productivity is that internalized need to always be productive. That guilty feeling you have when you rest. I think this is a major problem people have in their 20s and I‘m no exception.

Toxic Productivity is a product of capitalism and the highlight reel of social media. It categorizes everything that isn‘t actively working on your dreams as unproductive. And the worst part is that there are people out there trying to convince you that you have to work every second of your freetime for your goal. Don‘t get me wrong, if you want something you do need some dedication, but ruining your mental and physical health through constant stress isn‘t helping.

This is one of the topics that stuck with me so much that it is part of why I started my podcast. There is a reason I want to show you not only my imperfections and tips, but also humanize other creative paths on every level of success. I want to show people that even the biggest actors and bloggers had phases where they didn‘t have more to give and needed to recharge.

How to get rid of it

So how do you get rid of the mindset of toxic productivity. For one, you need to try noticing it when it hits your thoughts. Which situations are these thoughts the most common in? Are they prevalent in specific phases of your life, like when your mental health takes a dive? What do the thoughts actually say?

From there you can reframe your inner critic voice that tells you that you are not doing enough and tell it that you can‘t pour from an empty cup. You should also start reframing rest and self care into productive ways to spend your time because they are essential to your health. Just because society doesn‘t categorize them that way doesn‘t mean you can‘t.

Know that it is easy to fall back into the mindset of toxic productivity. Especially if you tend to compare yourself to others and even envy their success. For that I have one simple tip: Define two things for yourself in depth in a journal. What is YOUR definition of success and what is YOUR definition of happiness.

My definition of success:

Loving what I do to make money. Helping people with what I do. Being known for what I do („The girl that helps creatives stay sane“). Having a stable income. Ideally making __k+ Euros (after taxes). Being financially independent. Being able to save and spend a lot of money through good budgeting. Having friends that are creative, supportive and challenging me. Having a community supporting what I do mentally and financially. Getting to work with other creative people in my niche and other niches. Having social proof (from milestones to a blue checkmark). Being published in 2-3 publications. Having a book out. Being able to buy a house with the money I make. Being able to pay money to stay healthy (from healthy food boxes to massages and sport). Getting to know people I look up to now (w/o having to be on that level of fame myself, but if it happens it happens). Having a good balance between my work, my hobbies, my freetime and my health. Having a support network around me.

My definition of happiness:

1. being in the moment (being okay with where I am even when working towards growth)
2. being healthy & all my people being healthy
3. having no worries about money
4. having people to rely on
5. accepting and loving myself
6. having a support network
7. making others happy
8. being alive & breathing
9. achieving small & big goals
10. living out my passion
11. not being stressed
12. spending time with family & friends
13. having warmth around me and giving it to myself
14. personal growth
15. being grateful for what I have
16. taking time for myself
17. making memories with others
18. exploring myself & the world
19. having my needs met
20. being able to feel my emotions & heal old wounds
21. believing good things can still happen
22. being in nature
23. succeeding in what I love doing
24. helping other people & putting a smile on their face

Everytime I feel myself getting unstable, I go back and read those and tell myself I can add to it whenever I desire to.

If you want to dive deeper into making goals and getting clear on your life, I can only recommend two things to you. My personal development freebie you can sign up for down below and my „How to get your life together & keep it that way“ workbook that helped me tremendously to organize my mindset.

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The mindset of toxic productivity by Rabea