Why Constant Productivity Leads to Burnout — and How to Break Free

The drive to remain perpetually productive has been with me for many years, bringing significant stress. Does this sound familiar? Let’s explore this further.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” — Stephen Covey

The Compulsion to Be Ever-Productive

The reasoning is straightforward: life is fleeting and brimming with opportunities, so working diligently to seize them is essential. The more productive your time is, the more you accomplish.

You set out to enhance your life and soon notice that your efforts bear fruit. Indeed, your life improves.

So—your logic follows—if I maximize the use of my time, my life will improve even further. And that’s true. You achieve more. You’re on a roll; everything seems to be going perfectly.

• A great job
• A cozy home
• Everything falling into place
• Trendy outfits
• The latest smartphone
• Delicious lunches
• Enviable vacations
• … and then you suddenly find yourself in the doctor’s office, grappling with panic attacks and burnout.

Strange. You followed all the proper steps; you meditate daily! So, what went wrong?

You didn’t do anything wrong. The issue lies within a subtle flaw in our culture, which has embedded itself in your mindset. And it’s preventing you from continuing on the path you’ve been on.

What’s the Cultural Flaw?

This flaw is rooted in a simple assumption that has permeated our culture since the tumultuous 16th century.

What is this assumption? That laziness is a vice and work is a virtue. The harder you work, the better. And if you can push even harder, that’s considered exceptional.

You should always be engaged in something; otherwise, you’re seen as unproductive. And things must be productive. If people don’t work hard, they are looked down upon. If people are lazy, they’re deemed worthless.

And hard work is what we did. It brought our nation prosperity, an improved standard of living, freedom, and bananas for $1.50 a bunch. All very fine.

But here’s the thing: you stop hammering when the nail is in. When the bathtub is complete, you turn off the faucet. And when you reach your destination, you turn off the engine.

In my view, hard work is neither inherently good nor bad. It’s not a virtue or a vice. It’s simply a tool to achieve a goal. And once that goal is met, you can put the tool down. The problem arises when we mistake the tool for the goal.

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The Cat on the Neighbor’s Roof

The cat napping on the neighbor’s roof all morning curled into a fluffy ball. Surrounded by a bustling neighborhood with cars zooming by, pile drivers pounding into the ground, and people glued to their smartphones.

There she lies amidst all the commotion, just taking a nap because life continues to move forward, even when you’re not productive.

“Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.” — Mark Black

I’ve Learned to Be Like That Cat

A few years ago, I taught myself that doing nothing is okay. Relaxing, idling, playing, and lazing around aren’t bad things. They make me a more balanced, happier, and calmer person.

That realization—that time is more valuable than money and success—came after years of living with the belief that I had to be constantly productive, that everything needed to be efficient, and that my life had to revolve around achieving goals.

I did reach those goals, but along with that came a great deal of stress and dissatisfaction—a feeling of not being good enough. I would procrastinate and feel worthless because I wasn’t always productive, even though I thought I should be.

From a young age, I was taught that I always had to be working, no matter what I was doing. I was either working or studying day and night. Took on various studies alongside my job. Sitting still for even a moment—no, that wasn’t an option.

Until one day… One morning in 2004, I woke up to find my life turned upside down. I ended up in the hospital for weeks, with all the alarms and signals going off. Things weren’t going well with me. Fortunately, I had an angel watching over me.

But that time is behind me now. I’m more like that cat on the roof across the street. I’m still busy sometimes, but when I am, I don’t see it as a badge of honor but as a problem that needs addressing. A packed schedule doesn’t bring me joy.

My days aren’t solely centered around work. While writing is critical to me, I believe a few hours of focused work is enough to justify my time.

I admit—it’s one of the perks of working for yourself. However, many freelancers work even longer hours because they must always be productive.

There’s a Balance to Be Found

Working hard and taking a day off to do nothing are equally valuable experiences. Sometimes, hard work is necessary because you want to achieve specific outcomes. But you mustn’t forget to take the time and space to enjoy your accomplishments.

Otherwise, life becomes a race. And I don’t know about you, but I find racing exhausting. And not only that—what’s the point of racing through your life? Is crossing that finish line your goal? Because when it’s over, it’s over. Then your life is done, and all you’ve done is struggle.

All because someone in the 16th century decided hard work was ‘better’ than taking it easy. Really?

My approach lies somewhere in the middle: not perpetually productive, but productive when the situation calls for it. Articles don’t write themselves, and life doesn’t just enjoy itself. Both are essential.

I highly recommend this 2015 episode of the Tim Ferriss podcast (starting at 3:10 min). Lazy, a Manifesto It’s a chapter from Tim Kreider’s book We Learn Nothing: Lazy, a Manifesto. I listen to this episode every year to ground myself again.

That hustle, that stress, that rat race—it’s not a law of nature. We impose it on ourselves. And we can choose to stop. We can simplify our lives and create more space just to be.

Not to get all philosophical, but simply because perpetual productivity doesn’t work. It drains us, and it’s unnecessary. Burnout isn’t what you’re aiming for, trust me. And with a bit of breathing room here and there, you can avoid that dreaded doctor’s visit.

Relax. Inhale, exhale. Do something pointless today without feeling guilty. It’ll be good for you.

“Slow down and remember this: Most things make no difference. Being busy is a form of laziness—lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.” — Tim Ferriss

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