Toxic Productivity.
- Christine Stanko
- Jan 20, 2023
- 5 min read
How high achiever's can get addicted to toxic productivity and end up stuck in the endless cycle of 'the need to achieve'.
Our modern day society praises and applauds high achiever's and ambitious go-getters. There is endless adoration for the people who seem to wear burnout and toxic productivity as a badge of honour. A pseudo-rite of passage to the acceptance as a good and admirable member of society. And in today's society where non-stop consumerism and toxic productivity reign supreme, the costs to actual humans is swept right under the rug.
It is becoming more and more evident, at least if you ask me, that we are seeing the human costs of toxic productivity and the addiction of needing achievements to "prove" value and self-worth. There are many factors that go into a mental health crisis and honestly to say that toxic productivity isn't one of them is kind of ludicrous.
Take a look at the modern day work environment...need I say more. The modern day work environment does not take in the human factor, in fact it completely bulldozes over it and reinforces the idea that to be a good and decent citizen you 'must' contribute and produce repeatedly without flaw.
But I digress...
Let's take a look at the relationship between high achiever's and burnout. The making of a high achiever starts in childhood when sweet and impressionable little humans don't get their basic emotional needs met genuinely in a compassionate and direct way. Tiny little humans find this particularly painful - NOT being seen and heard and not feeling LOVED, SAFE, or CONNECTED like they BELONG somewhere in this big and scary world.
Naturally these tiny little humans will look to SECURE some form of love, safety, connection and belonging - and stumble upon achievements. When a tiny little person can achieve something external and it gets the attention (love, safety, connection & belonging) of a trusted adult like a parent, they will naturally continue to use this skill in meeting their needs. This is how it starts. And this is how in adulthood it leads to burnout, depression and ultimately emotional unavailability - needs were never genuinely acknowledge and met allowing the person to learn how to emotionally receive LOVE, SAFETY, CONNECTION & BELONGING. *ouch.
(Curious about more? Check it out here )
Ok! Back to burnout...I have made just for you, a layout of what high achievers' burnout can look like. A map if you will, of the steps a high achiever takes that leads them right into the trap of burnout and even depression.
This is the basic run down:
1) The "need to achieve"; an emotional need surfaces (love, safety, connection and or
belonging) and there is an urge to meet that need through an achievement.
2) Excessive ambition and energy. Confetti energy!
3) Work harder to achieve the intended goal. Can feel physically urgent.
4) Start neglecting your own needs; very 'driven' almost robotically to conquer this task. "Mind over matter".
5) Disregard for any conflict or tension this causes you or others.
6) Increasing denial that this need to achieve is causing you to neglect your own needs and that it is actually causing you stress.
7) Ambition starts to slow down. Withdrawal from yourself, your life and from others starts to settle in.
8) Thoughts, emotions and behaviours switch from ambition, excitement, yearning and pumped up self-talk into self sabotaging thoughts, feel yuck emotions and a depressed mood. Burnout settling in.
9) Feeling emotionally drained, empty and depressed. Addictive behaviours start to re-surface; which for the high achiever includes seeking another exciting achievement to change their experience.
10) The high achiever either succumbs to burnout, or repeats this pattern until burnt out and depressed.
Want to read more about this?! I have created a nice little document for you! Included in it are some tips on mapping out your experience of high achiever burnout and some bonus tips for remedying your experience.
Because of the ROOTS of the high achiever - learning to use EXTERNAL accomplishments to meet INTERNAL emotional needs, we never get the best chance to learn our actual emotions and their sensations in our physical body. In fact the initial pain of mismanaged emotional needs in childhood (whether intentionally or not) causes us to hide away those emotions - cut them off, shut them down or push them out to avoid that pain.
Aside from external achievements, toxic productivity is another 'tool' high achiever's use in attempt to meet their emotional needs.
What is toxic productivity?
Toxic productivity is a term used to describe a culture or environment in which individuals are expected to constantly work at a frenzied pace, often without proper rest or breaks. This type of productivity can be detrimental to both physical and mental health, as it can take a toll on the body, leading to exhaustion, stress, and burnout. It can also lead to feelings of inadequacy, as individuals may not be able to keep up with the high expectations they set. Toxic productivity often leads to reduced creativity, as individuals may be too exhausted or preoccupied with their work to come up with innovative ideas. In order to prevent toxic productivity, it is important to ensure that individuals have adequate rest and breaks to maintain their physical and mental well-being.
So why do high achiever's get addicted to something that sounds so detrimental?! Well, the short and easy answer - instant superficial gratification for emotional needs and surface level praise of their perceived self-worth. *ouch.
But if you would like an answer that has a little more defining answers...here it is.
Why do high achiever's get addicted to toxic productivity?
People may become addicted to toxic productivity due to a variety of reasons, such as feeling the need to be productive in order to feel a sense of accomplishment and worth, or to avoid facing underlying emotions. It can also be a form of escapism, as people may become so focused on being productive that they don’t have to think about anything else or feel their emotions. In some cases, people may have an obsession with being productive to the point of neglecting their own health and wellbeing, leading to a cycle of unhealthy behaviours. Ultimately, toxic productivity can be a sign of underlying mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, so it’s important to seek professional help if you feel like you can’t break out of the cycle.
The tool that we used as children to soothe the pain of our mismanaged emotional needs is the very tool that causes us greater emotional pain in adulthood. And it creates a pretty nasty cycle because we haven't been exposed or experienced alternate ways of meeting our emotional needs in a genuine way with others.
Interested in learning more about toxic productivity and the
4 TOOLS TO DECONSTRUCT YOUR TOXIC PRODUCTIVITY?!
As Always...
Journey On.
Chrissy.
Interested in learning more about emotional unavailability and the top 3 ways high achievers become emotionally unavailable?
Check it out here! A webinar that includes a slide deck presentation with all of your basic info on the need to achieve and high achievers' emotional unavailability types. PLUS! Get a BONUS workbook to really dig in to your own work - taking radical self responsibility for your emotional health.
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