Why “Always Being Productive” Is Burning You Out

Always being productive is for robots. But as humans, if we are always working, it is inevitable to experience burnout. Burnout is a severe state of exhaustion caused by prolonged and unmanageable stress; it has become an increasingly prevalent issue, and its effects are glamourised as ‘dedication’ or ‘motivation.’

Between juggling life’s everyday tasks, we skip breaks, multitask or study later than we know we should. Whilst this might be disguised as ‘locking in,’ it is secretly damaging your physical and mental health.

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Society’s obsession with ‘lock-in’ culture and always being productive is the reason why so many teenagers are feeling burnt out. Studies show that teenagers are under more pressure than adults to succeed; in 2023, a Common Sense Media Study showed that over 70% of students felt academic stress, and 81% of teenagers felt negative pressure.

These statistics show that burnout can cause a constant strain on our mental and physical health, which can lead to a myriad of serious issues: fatigue, a weak immune system, heart diseases and depression. We all know the obvious ways to combat stress (which are sleeping, eating well, resting), but how many of us actually put these practises into use?

Recently, exam season was always upon me, and the weight of everyday life caused existing to feel like an obstacle. This left me with a numb, unfulfilled feeling like I was living in a monotonous, eerily silent world. It felt like someone played repeat on my life, and every day was the same, until one day I would crack and then the cycle continued. This feeling of numbness stems from prolonged productivity and stress, which causes your body to go into autopilot mode.

Whilst self-care can aid recovery from burnout, it will only help to an extent. Realistically, we will implement self-care techniques for a week or two; then, suddenly, our to-do list stacks up too high that we can no longer see over the top of it, and our coping methods are thrown out the window.

Solutions

The following solutions will help you effectively manage your time to increase productivity whilst avoiding burnout:

1. Pomodoro Method: Study for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break and repeat this three times. Then, at the end, take a longer break. This technique helps you to manage your energy and increase productivity whilst also taking breaks.
2. Reframing the Way You Work: Establishing firm boundaries to have a healthy work-life balance and using your stress as a compass to guide you to what drains you and what makes you happy.
3. Dedicating Self-Care Time: For at least one hour a week (be strict about this), prioritise time for yourself to do something that you enjoy. For example, journaling (this can help you recognise patterns in your emotions) or exercise (which benefits your physical and mental health).
4. Reaching Out: This is probably the hardest technique, but talking to a friend or family member can help you feel less alone and keep you accountable in taking breaks. If this feels uncomfortable, listening to a podcast (e.g. Aware And Aggravated - Episode 115, Hot and Unbothered) can help you gain an outside view, which puts your struggles into perspective
5. Manifestation: Research shows that reciting a positive mantra can improve mental health by replacing negative, stressed thoughts and retraining your neutral paths, which essentially manipulates your brain into aligning with your new mindset. (You might feel silly talking to yourself, but trust me, it works.)

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Conclusion

Addressing an overwhelming workload or asking for support is not a weakness but the first step to leading a more fulfilling and happier life. Burnout is an issue that has become increasingly common in society and can have detrimental effects on your life if it is not dealt with.

However, by actively incorporating the techniques above into your daily schedule, you can remain productive whilst maintaining your mental and physical well-being.