How To Stop Suffering From Productive Anxiety

Do you have productive anxiety? Do you know what it is? This article is all about the signs of productive anxiety and what to do about it

We all have those days of never feeling satisfied or enough. Trust me, I feel like I am not doing enough every single day. And it is exhausting, to say the least. You’re always self-doubting yourself and finding ways to be more productive, but never fully living up to your potential.

While everyone knows what being productive is and what the feelings of anxiety are. Have you ever felt like both? Have you ever felt like you are productive and have anxiety at the same time? I bet you have but never knew that this is a sign and symptom and many people have productivity anxiety without even knowing about it.

Essentially, productivity anxiety is the feeling of you’re never enough or are never doing enough. You’re not satisfied even though everything on your to-do list is completed. It is the feeling of being overwhelmed yet still burdening yourself with so much more.

Signs of Productive Anxiety

There are many signs of productivity anxiety and many are present without even knowing. The simplest of things can actually be or trigger productive anxiety and make you feel overwhelmed and burdened.

Feeling Guilty for Resting

I do this all the damn time. I feel so guilty for taking a day off from work and not focusing on something, even when I am ill. The feeling of guilt about resting and not being able to do stuff that I had planned. This is so common and I see this in everyone, but sometimes, it can get out of control.

When you’re never taking the time to rest your mind and body because you need to have your so-called productive mode on is the worst. I mean there are times when I am physically so ill, but I still go to work. And when I don’t, I feel guilty that my work hasn’t either been completed or someone else is having to do it.

I think as women, we need to change our mindset that resting is absolutely okay. Especially being in your soon-to-be mid-20s (I know, I am dreading the fact that I am about to be 24. Yikes!!!). But, when you are my age, you really feel bad about the things you’re not able to do and in return don’t rest and take the time out you need. ☹

You Always Have To Be In Control

Slowly I have come to realize that not everything is in my control. I am such a sucker for control, that I have to plan out every aspect of the month, week and day to make sure I don’t “lose” control. It sucks, to be honest. I am always the person who is multi-tasking and searching “how to be more productive” when honestly, I need to learn to be less productive. Always having the feeling of being in control is so damaging to your health. I suffer from migraines and this is the main factor. One of my New Year goals is to let everything happen as it should and not plan each and every detail. Control isn’t about always having to be in control, for me now, it is about letting my mind rest and watching things happen as they are meant to be. (I’m sounding super sappy but it is trueee)! 😊

You Never Shut Off Mentally

The best productivity life hacks that no one really talks about is to just shut off mentally. Even though you are physically resting your body, trying to sleep, your mind is fully awake. I am suffering from this for the past few months and it is exhausting.

Even though my body is fully tired and I am trying to sleep, my mind is fully awake. And when I can’t fall asleep, I turn to my phone and either work or am thinking about what to do next. That is the problem these days with everyone, and not that many of us know that this is productive anxiety that in return, is making us less productive. We are often told to be more productive, but I think, we should be told to be less.

So, the next time you’re in bed, even if you cannot sleep, do not MOVE. Try and focus on relaxing your mind, and STOP THINKING ABOUT WHAT TO DO NEXXXT!!

Never Feeling Satisfied

Even though you are giving your all, productively working and making sure everything is done before its time, you are never satisfied. Either the end result didn’t live up to your standards, or you’re just fully satisfied with how things are going. This comes into the control factor as well. Like I said, I love to be in control, but that hinders my satisfaction as well. Because when things do not go 10000 percent your way, you never feel satisfied with yourself and with your work.

This year, the best thing I can do for myself (and the people around me) is to feel internally satisfied with how things are working. Be it my own life, work or anything in between. Giving up on control is so scary but sometimes needed! Trust me on this, when you are always in control, it still feels shitty!

How To Stop Productive Anxiety With Small Changes

Sometimes, the smaller the change, the bigger the reward. We often look towards the big goals and set our sights on stuff that we never can achieve. Not that we can’t. it is just we don’t work ourselves up to it by making the smaller stuff more important. I am guilty of this all the time.

To stop productivity anxiety from happening all the damn time, it is about TIME TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE WITH SMALL STEPS!!

Set Out Small and Realistic Goals

My number one focus point for this year is to set out small goals and work myself up to the bigger achievements. Ignoring small progress is so draining and can lead to even more productive anxiety. Instead of having the big plans and goals in mind, work yourself up to them. Set out small baby steps and make realistic goals and have realistic expectations.

One of my goals was to get up early and work on this blog every single day. Now that doesn’t mean writing a post every single day (remember: being realistic is essential), it means slowly start changing the blog and finding my voice. Another one of my goals was to get to 2k followers on my Instagram by the end of December 2022 and I absolutely nailed that!!

The smaller the goal the lesser the productive anxiety you have!

Make Mistakes and Learn From Them

I hate failing, absolutely hate it. But, failure is a part of life and happens at each moment. You never really should be afraid of failing, only then can you succeed. (I know, by now I probably sound like I am preaching but it is true) 😊.

The best wellness habit you can make to succeed is accepting failure and learning from it. Don’t be afraid to fail, learn, adapt and change to progress. It is one of the best productivity hacks that no one really focuses on. Again, no one is perfect and no one has a perfect life. We all fail. In different aspects of course but it is normal. Being more productive is about change and learning. Regardless of age.

Stop Being Good At Multi-Tasking

The best productivity tips at work are always the ones that we want to hear and not the ones that we need to hear. Stop being good at everything and definitely stop being good at multi-tasking. Multitasking is amazing, but when you get used to doing it, it becomes more damaging.

Instead of focusing and doing everything all at once, do one thing at a time and master it. You never really can learn ten things in one go and be good at all ten. Give your hundred percent to one thing and set realistic expectations from it. Only then can you stop productive anxiety from taking over your damn life.

Learn To Say No

I never know how to say no. I always end up saying yes, to even the things I don’t wanna do. It is a habit by now, to be honest. But as with anything, things need to change. I am learning (slowly) to say no to stuff I either don’t want to do or just can’t do. The best productivity hacks are the ones that benefit you and help you succeed and NOT the ones that damage your mind. I am a big believer in setting goals, making sure I follow through on plans and executing all the things I have on my list. But sometimes, saying no to certain stuff is really the best thing you can do to enhance your productivity.

We all have that guilty feeling of letting someone down and saying no. But the best wellness habit is to start focusing on yourself and making sure you are okay before anyone else! 😊

Dear Misfits

I know how hard life can be sometimes. Whether you’re just finding your footing or are stable in your own self. Shit happens. I know firsthand how hard navigating your 20s can be when everything is on top of you and you never really feel good about yourself and where you are in life. It’s like a never-ending storm. I understand. But instead of finding ways of how to be more productive, can we just be ourselves and maybe less productive?

We are always so used to doing the next thing. How about we take the time out to do nothing? How about we enjoy every day, every stage of life and not worry about what is going to happen next? Instead of being in control, can’t we just go with the flow and not be in control for once and see what happens? Let things do what they wanna do and life lead its way without us navigating through every storm.

Stop with productive anxiety and stop with burdening yourself. Enjoy. Love. Laugh and just live 😊.

Love you loads

Murrium

xoxo

This article was all about the signs of productive anxiety and how to stop productivity anxiety from taking over your life.