Today in society, we are ingrained that success is measured by the effort that we place into our work. “You must work harder to receive rewards”. We can see this in school where we lose sleep to finish hours of assignments, at a workplace offering promotions to those who hustle, and much more. In this mindset, we often end up throwing self-care out the window and believe that this will all pay off. We feel uncomfortable and guilty sitting down to watch a movie instead of getting ahead on our work. Productivity can reap benefits but only if it is done with a balance.
Often we see podcasts and Ted-Talks emphasizing the idea that successful people get everything done before the world wakes up. They are always ahead, getting a million tasks done each day. Yet, they never talk about the end result: burnout. Humans are not able to sustain long hours of productivity. Research shows that an average adult can only be fully productive for only 3 hours a day. Pushing yourself to do hundreds of tasks by locking yourself in your room for a whole day is not doing you any good. There is a large difference between feeling productive and being productive. Productivity should never be about how many tasks you can cross off. Productivity should be about prioritizing work and life to maintain a healthy balance.
So, how can we overcome this mindset?
Make a List of Three
Before going to bed, write three things you want to accomplish each day. These will be tasks that require my full focus and effort. This sets your priority and ensures your energy is going to be used most effectively. By creating this list, you will know that you are not doing mindless tasks to feel productive and busy but, instead doing tasks that are truly important.
Set a Routine
Every day, block off three hours towards the beginning of the day for the list of three. By doing these tasks early you can save time to do things that make you enjoy life afterward without the pressure of feeling guilty. Then towards the end of the day, make sure to turn off all blue light from your devices. By setting this routine, the brain starts to fall into a pattern of understanding when it is time to go to bed and ultimately allows for a better sleep pattern.
Be proud of your day
Hustle culture is built on the perspective of looking at the future. While it is good to look towards the future, It can create a problem of not appreciating how far you’ve come. This can create a feeling of failure and frustration among many individuals. To overcome this, at the end of each day, reflect and see the accomplishments you’ve made thus far.