Between Productivity And Toxicity, there Is a Fine Line. Make sure you’re not dancing on it.

Striking a balance between work and personal life has been such a task for me, especially being a corporate employee. The pandemic, as well as the work-from-home lifestyle, are to be blamed for compounding the situation. Even while I see that establishing a common ground between the two would be beneficial to me both professionally and personally, it is difficult for me to break away from the “always-on” attitude. Especially when it’s so simple to persuade myself that working harder means more success.

Unfortunately, hustling and constantly working hard are considered typical attributes of a successful person in our society. Multitasking and doing several tasks perfectly at once are commended, and distractions seem to be uncontrollable. We are taught that we are slackers, useless, and lazy if we are not working or if we don’t live a “busy work life”.

Furthermore, the “hustle” culture has effectively oversold several productivity myths that divert our energy, lower our profitability, and lead to burnout. I’ve been there more times than I would want to admit.

Burnout is a debilitating ailment that many individuals suffer from. It comes with a slew of unpleasant symptoms, including a lack of inventiveness, a helpless demeanor, and a lack of desire. This is where the rest of the world’s power manifests. Pausing may be difficult due to the paradoxical nature of this outcome.

We feel the pressure of not working hard enough, as well as the pressure of a poisoned culture telling us that taking breaks and not constantly working would sabotage and postpone our achievement.

Pressing the pause button, on the other hand, is not the same as procrastinating.

Honestly, taking the correct breaks, i.e. not too long, not too often, and perfectly timed in both cases, may be useful!

STOP relying on urban legends to live your life!!

Society wants us to believe that haste leads to betterment and efficiency, but this is not the reality. Here are the three typical misunderstandings about business, productivity, and procrastination that you should avoid.

Myth 1: The best way to be productive is to learn time management.

This myth isn’t wholly untrue; nonetheless, time management is just one part of a bigger set of abilities that we must have in order to be productive. In this equation, there are three elements that, in my view, contribute to the most efficiency. The three components of the efficiency equation are time, energy, and attention management.
Time management impacts how we use our energy and how much time we commit to certain activities each day, while energy management focuses on recharging our batteries so that we spend tiny concentrated hours getting things done instead of lengthy dispersed inattentive hours. Energy is the power that gives time its worth. At the core of attention, management is the choices we make and the actions we do. This may happen when we make thoughtful, attentive, and focused judgments and perform activities in this alignment. You’ll be able to work at full capacity without procrastinating after you understand how to work around these three aspects.

Myth 2: Being busy means you’re productive.

Some individuals follow this philosophy, which is perhaps the most poisonous and dangerous one. The majority of people try to convince us that being busy and being productive are interchangeable terms, but they are not. We are often under the pressure to be achievers by being busy and exhausted, yet these approaches typically result in us being less productive in the long term.

Working harder, becoming angry, and being stimulated by compulsiveness are all instances of being busy in a bad manner. Being productive, on the other hand, is about working wisely by being engaged and driven by logic and progress.
It’s critical to recognize the distinction between busy and productive. Being busy is based on the need to gain approval from others who support rather than understand accomplishments. While productivity fosters actual progress in order to be successful, it is focused on everyday life and business.

Myth 3: Taking breaks is the same as procrastinating.

My love, it couldn’t be farther from the truth! And in reality, the opposite is true. According to study and analysis, the region of our brain that makes executive decisions needs to take a break! The prefrontal cortex is responsible for a variety of functions, including goal-setting, memory, attention, decision-making, and so on.

Allow your fatigued mind to rest so that it can re-energize and perform even better the next time. Let me clarify absolutely that taking a deliberate break or halting through your job is imperative.

THE ANSWER IS NOT PROCRASTINATION. The Phrase of the day is deliberate pauses. A few brief vacations may re-energize us on a regular basis, while others might deplete us. The idea is to take a break that is both healthy and does not cause us to get sleepy. Take short active breaks instead of passive breaks.

What to Do When You Need to Take a Break

Taking a break is a conscious alteration in our routine. Deliberate pauses help you to build a connection with yourself over time, enabling you to check in on yourself and align yourself with your goal. Certain stops and breaks re-energize us, while others drain us, as I previously said.

What criteria do you use to decide if your breaks re-energize or deplete you?
”Could it be that I’m creating anxiety in my mind? Is it possible that I overthink scenarios? Is it possible that I am examining an excessive amount of data in my environment?” are a few of the topics you could ponder upon. You will be weary as a consequence of your interruption if you respond yes.

What kinds of activities fall under the category of refreshing pauses? Reading, calling a friend, or browsing through social media are all great ways to pass the time, but they aren’t very effective pauses.
Re-energizing pauses might include sleep (my personal favorite), meditation, self-care, mindfulness, going for a walk, brief exercises or stretching, or just sitting quietly for some time while breathing in and observing your surroundings.

We may use the abbreviation PAUSE to remind ourselves to take a break during the day.
Take time to stop, no matter what you’re doing.
Assess — Pay attention to how you’re feeling, your thoughts, any bodily sensations you’re experiencing, and anything else that is happening in your surroundings (what I call mindful registrations)!
Recognize — Recognize what you need right now.
Adjust your conduct to satisfy your requirements by shifting.
Describe — Describe the expected action.

Here are three good reasons to take regular breaks throughout the day:

1. Get your batteries recharged.
   Energy management is a component of efficiency, as I previously said. Taking a break or effectively stopping during the workday may greatly increase your productivity.
2. Manage your emotions in a useful way to lessen stress and anxiety!
   Emotional intelligence may help you in both personal and professional situations. In research, taking breaks has been found to improve temperament, execution, and attention.
3. Make an effort to achieve a better work-life balance.
   Finding a balance between your work and personal life might be challenging for some individuals, but you can come closer to it by taking purposeful pauses throughout the day.

It’s important to ignore people who tell you how productive you should be and to allow yourself to take the pauses you need during the day. I guarantee that re-energizing and relaxing by consciously pausing will help you manage and maintain your work-life balance by improving productivity, reducing stress, and significantly assisting you in managing and maintaining your energy.