Productivity needs a rethink.
Hustle, Anyone?
Workaholism and hustle culture are now known to promote unsustainable, burnout-inducing work practices. On the other hand, productivity is a positive concept... until it becomes toxic.
Toxic Productivity
Toxic productivity is an obsession with being productive all the time. While it sounds like workaholism and hustle culture, it's far worse as it creeps into every aspect of life. Toxic productivity is the fastest route to burnout.
To do your best work as efficiently as possible, you need to be well - this makes complete sense. The reality is different, though.
The Challenges
It is hard to prioritise your wellbeing when those around you are hustling to the point of burnout. It's hard to say no to another unreasonable request from your manager. It's hard to leave work on time when everyone else in your office will still be there 90 minutes later.
Culture Change
The broader issue here might be organisational culture. One single person is unlikely to be able to change that. What you can change, though, is your behaviour. And this can influence the behaviour of those around you. Change can be bottom-up, even when it should be top-down.
So what can you do? Practice wellbeing-driven productivity.
What is Wellbeing-Driven Productivity?
Wellbeing-driven productivity is prioritising your wellbeing and using productivity strategies to make time and space for rest and recovery. But it doesn't stop there. The next step is to empower others to do the same.
So, that rethink:
Forget about 'doing more with less'. Wellbeing must drive productivity. Don't fill the time you save with more work — fill it with rest and recovery, and help others do the same. By doing so, we'll all be more productive — everyone wins.
