Struggling With Productivity Guilt? Here's Five Ways To Manage It
Updated August 8th, 2023
Published November 17th, 2022
6.5 min read
Say bye-bye to late nights and stress. Learn to take guilt-free breaks.
Written by Simon Spichak
It's 6 P.M., and you’re exhausted. You’re straining to keep your eyes open but still absolutely racked with guilt. You’re staring at the blinking cursor on your screen and thinking about your writer’s block. Even though you’ve been trying to write your assignment all day, you feel guilty about taking a break because you don’t feel you’ve earned it.
We may often try to punish ourselves for procrastination by working late into the night. This phenomenon is called productivity guilt. While it might help you accomplish tasks, it harms your mental and physical health.
What is Productivity Guilt?
Productivity guilt is a feeling that pushes you to compensate for having a less-than-productive day. Sometimes, it is used to justify punishing ourselves and perpetuating the cycle.
How common is productivity guilt?
According to research conducted by Microsoft, these feelings are widespread. About two-thirds of the study participants reported feeling they had too much to do, while more than two in five thought they weren’t managing enough. These feelings were also a lot more common in women than men.
How does it affect school, home, and work?
Productivity guilt can leave you burnt out. If you aren’t productive all day, you might want to work through the night. But if you work through the night, you’ll be tired the next day and won’t get much done.
As a result, your performance at school and work suffers. You might also be more irritable because you aren’t sleeping enough.
The psychology behind productivity guilt
Productivity guilt can stem from impostor syndrome, where people feel inadequate and doubt their competence even though there’s no reason to do so. It can also stem from other psychological or mental health issues.
Five Ways to Manage Productivity Guilt
It is essential to recognize that you are experiencing productivity guilt so you can work toward a healthier school/work/life balance. There are many healthy steps you can take that will help you manage these feelings of guilt and shame.
Set up clear boundaries
One of the best ways to counter this guilt is to set boundaries. It can be as simple as saying, “I won’t do any work after 5 P.M., no matter how much or how little I’ve done.” Here’s what setting up boundaries looks like:
Boundaries for yourself: Use a timer or an app that can force you to stop working at the end of the day. You can also schedule other activities like walks or exercise that you need to do at that specific time, drawing you away from your work.
Boundaries for work: Set boundaries with your co-workers and supervisors, and tell them that you won’t be checking emails when you aren’t on the clock.
Reframe and reappraise
Take a few minutes away from whatever you’re doing to focus on the thoughts and ruminations that make you feel inadequate. These are all parts of a story that your mind is crafting rather than something true. Here is how you can reframe some common thought patterns:
Instead of saying, “I should have done X,” ask yourself, “Is there another way to look at this?”
If you think it is your fault you procrastinated and didn’t finish your work, reframe the narrative to prioritize your tasks, energy, and mental health. After all, even if you did procrastinate, you still deserve rest.
Instead of ruminating on your failures, remember that you tried your best, and that’s what you can do.
Take a bird’s eye view of your productivity.
Life is rarely simple or easy: Circumstances such as health, emergencies, and other situations affect our lives. Acknowledge that sometimes you can’t change these circumstances and that there is only so much time in the day.
Think about what you did accomplish instead of where you failed, and remember that you did what you could and that tomorrow is another day. If there are reasons you could have been more productive that are within your control, you can plan to make some changes the next day. There is no point in dwelling on the matter all night and forcing yourself to work into the evening.
Recognize your limitations
Even if you planned to work from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., you might get exhausted. You may have a nasty headache or back-to-back meetings drain most of your energy. Or you’ve been trying to solve a problem for hours and aren’t making any headway. In these scenarios, you’re much better off letting your body and brain rest, recognizing that you’re only human.
With all the “hustle culture” posts on social media, you might think it is necessary to always be on even when you’re body isn’t feeling it. But this is inherently unhealthy.
Taming the to-do list
For some people, setting up a to-do list can be very therapeutic. But it can quickly get out of hand with dozens of tiny unfinished tasks, making you feel unproductive. Here are some best practices for your to-do list:
Track how much work you get done over two-to-three weeks. That gives you a good idea of how many tasks you should expect to be able to cross off on a given day.
Be deliberate about the tasks you decide to focus on and prioritize on the to-do list.
Embrace uncompleted tasks. There will always be time to complete them tomorrow or another day.
Summary
Don’t stress so much about your productivity. These anxieties are widespread, especially in women. We hope our tips will help you manage your stress and help you build a healthier balance between your schoolwork, job, and social life.
Please note that this post is written for educational purposes; it is not therapy. If you need to talk to a professional, please book a consultation with a psychotherapist through Resolvve.
