In a conversation with one of my members this past week, we shared how we both are hard-working doers, relentlessly pushing ahead on our tasks and goals, with lists galore to keep us on track.
I brought up the idea of “toxic productivity,” a term I seem to keep running across lately. It’s about a focus on doing doing doing that harms our health and relationships. Common outcomes? Burnout, anxiety, and even depression.
While I don’t think my doing is toxic (yet), I do think I tend to push the boundaries of what’s healthy for me in my quest to accomplish more and more. Somehow, my self-worth seems to be tied to my productivity.
As with everything, the first step is awareness. I am learning to ask myself: Do I NEED to do this now? How can I prioritize my tasks and let some of them slide to tomorrow or next week—or let them go entirely? Am I DOING to avoid BEING? (As they say, we are human beings not human doings.) What is so scary about taking a breath, a pause, a time out for play or peace? With no agenda and nothing to check off the list.
I am building time into my schedule for those healthy pauses, where the phone and laptop get sidelined and I enjoy real downtime. Walking my puppy Marley. Having lunch with a friend. Reading a magazine. Snuggling with hubby while watching the latest crime TV show.
YOUR TURN: How can you take time today to BE rather than DO?
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