Productivity is essential when we want to advance our remote working career.
However, fixating on productivity can lead to productivity anxiety, which can affect the quality of your output.
What is Productivity Anxiety?
Productivity anxiety is feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to be continuously productive, which can lead to stress, self-doubt, and burnout.
That said, recognizing signs of productivity anxiety is crucial. Here are 5 signs you might have it -and ways to manage it.
Sign #1: Tension Headaches and Trouble Sleeping
Productivity anxiety affects our mental health and it often manifests itself physically.
It can lead to muscle tension, which contributes to tension headaches that feel like having a tight band around the head.
Also, people with productivity anxiety often have overactive minds with racing thoughts, making it difficult to sleep.
You can take over-the-counter medication to ease these symptoms.
However, it would be better to manage the root cause: the lack of clear boundaries between work and your personal life.
An example is a strict “no-work–after-office-hours” rule. You can also practice mindfulness and meditation to ease your worries.
Sign # 2: You Have Unrealistic Goals
One cause of productivity anxiety is perfectionism.
People who suffer from this condition set unattainable goals, which leave no room for any mistakes and imperfections.
Because of this, people consistently fail to achieve them.
So moving forward, assess and set feasible goals by knowing your skills, setting SMART goals, being flexible with mistakes, and seeking feedback from your higher-ups.
Sign #3: You Never Feel Like You’ve Done Enough
Alongside perfectionism, fear of failure causes productivity anxiety.
When one constantly falls short of their (unrealistic) standards, they excessively worry that they’re not doing enough.
So it becomes a cycle of self-doubt and not meeting your expectations that worsens your productivity anxiety even further.
With this, you should practice self-compassion. Be kinder to yourself. After all, nobody is perfect because we all make mistakes.
Moreover, focus on your strengths and realign them with your expectations.
Sign #4: You Compare Yourself to Others
A little healthy competition can enhance productivity.
However, too much comparisons can lead to productivity anxiety as well because of the excessive focus on outperforming others. It can even lead to feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, and low self-esteem.
Thus, it’s important to focus on our own progress, goals, and achievements instead of other people’s.
Sign #5: You Feel Guilty Taking Breaks
Do you think taking breaks is unproductive? That’s another sign of productivity anxiety.
Your motto is “every second counts” because you constantly worry about falling behind from your internal pressure to be productive.
If you can relate to this, you have to change your mindset about downtime.
Rest is not just an option. Quite the contrary, it’s actually productive to take regular breaks.
So set clear boundaries between your work and life. It also helps to be intentional about scheduling breaks for better performance.
Find Remote Clients Who Value Your Mental Well-being
Sometimes, our clients contribute to our productivity anxiety with their unrealistic standards.
So if you can, it’s best to find others who value your mental well-being as well as your productivity.
One of our core values at Remote Staff is to “get the balance right.”
Based on our observation, remote workers who are happy with their work and personal lives are likely to be the most productive.
So we offer the right work boundaries, special programs, and support to cater to your mental health.
Coupled with our long-term remote working contracts, we have exceptional online job opportunities for Filipinos.
If you want these benefits, sign up with Remote Staff today!
