TOXIC PRODUCTIVITY

Toxic productivity is the need to indulge in taking up excessive work load, to accomplish goals which in return feed ones sense of security that he/she isn’t lagging behind or not  being able to fulfil their desired goals in a stipulated time.

Toxic productivity is quiet common with our generation as most of us are pressurised into thinking that we have to be overachievers in order to feel validated in the society. The culture of ‘HUSTLING’ is encouraged among youth because of its high acceptance in our society.

The so called ‘MILLENNIAL’ generation aims high and have a clear visual of what they want in life and what needs to be done in order to reach their desired destination. Anything less make evoke a sentiment that of a renegade. As dramatic as it may sound, the generation plays to the extreme point that may directly or indirectly contribute to toxic work culture.

Taking up excessive work load isn’t always optional in nature, in the sense that toxic productivity is usually pushed down our throat due to its materialistic or even non materialistic ( appreciation, other modes of validation) rewarding nature. Educational institutions, job sectors have excessively demanding work environment that require efficiency and extra working hours to meet deadlines. The materialistic reward, as mentioned above refers to the incentives one receives as a result of their productivity. The reward may either be in terms of one’s salary, promotion in job sectors or seeking high grades in school/universities.

High productivity is good and is encouraged over ideal behaviour but to what extent?

The line often blurs between high productivity and TOXIC PRODUCTIVITY, people confuse between these two concepts which eventually may lead to crippling anxiety or the stage of absolute burn out. 

BURN OUT is an eventual process and doesn’t happen in a single day. Burn Out is the physical, psychological, emotional and cognitive exhaustion of an individual as a result of prolong exposure to stress. During burn out , people often feel overwhelmed , tired and they lack interest in doing anything at all.

There are namely 5 stages of burn out –

• The HONEYMOON PHASE characterised by high productivity and enthusiasm towards achieving their designated goals/ deadlines. People in this stage have newly gotten themselves into hustling and bustling, seeking out new possibilities and venturing the immense satisfaction that one gets out of high productivity. This is the stepping stone towards the burnout phase for few people.
• The second stage is the ONSET OF STRESS. This is the phase where the stress slowly and steadily sets in. The individual is aware and conscious about the sources of stress and eventually the work enthusiasm which was at its peak in the Honeymoon Phase, gradually starts decreasing. Some common symptoms include high blood pressure, irritability – because the individual is no longer capable of functioning at the same rate like before. Fatigue, lower rate of productivity, headaches, anxiety, avoidance of decision making, forgetfulness neglect towards personal health are some of the other symptoms.
• The third stage is characterised by CHRONIC STRESS. In this stage the stress is no longer ‘occasional’ in nature but rather frequently occurring.  The symptoms are similar to the second stage of burn out but much more intense in nature. Escapism is a common behaviour accompanied by procrastination at work place, social withdrawal, decreased sexual desire, cynical attitude, anger and apathy towards everything.
• The fourth stage is called the BURNOUT. In this stage the individual has little or no control over his/her chronic stress symptoms. Burn Out is a critical condition whereby the individual might need professional help to intervene. The common symptoms of BURN OUT include excessive self-doubt and self isolation, constant state of pessimism, rapid change in behaviour, need to isolate oneself from family and friends, a feeling of emptiness and nothingness linger about in the back of their mind.
• The last stage is the HABITUAL BURNOUT characterised by absolute fixation to chronic symptoms. Depression, chronic mental and physical fatigue dominates ones health condition.

However not necessarily every individual will go through all the stages of Burn Out. Some may take necessary precautions in the early stage of Burn Out and avoid chronic condition pertaining to their health.

YERKES DODSON LAW OR THE ‘U’ SHAPED CURVE

According to Yerkes Dodson law there’s a strong relationship between individual performance and the level of stress he’s exposed to. According to the law the initial performance of an individual will greatly improve to an extent with an optimal level of arousal. However this peaking of performance only lasts for a short duration and the intense arousal due to work load is helpful only for a while.  According to Dodson law the arousal increases the efficiency of an individual to perform a task with considerable amount of motivation.

An optimal level of arousal helps in the performance. Dodson law also postulates the fact that a simpler task may require more arousal in comparison to a moderately challenging task.

Yerkes Dodson law is shown in terms of a U shaped curve.

Only a certain degree of stress is helpful for motivation purpose but in the long run the stress may turn out to be more harmful than convenient. During the start of exam season, the students are highly motivated to study and work hard.

 I remember staying awake till late in the night to do some last minute cramming session. It personally helped me for a while. However towards the end of my exams I used to feel extremely exhausted from all those late night cramming sessions.

Most of the people I know admit that they usually stay motivated in the beginning of their exams but towards the end they could barely contain the same range of arousal like before. Gradual decrease of motivation is quiet commonly observed in such situations. Excessive pressure in academics may be one of the reasons that leads to toxic productivity. The other reasons that contribute to toxic productivity maybe be initial procrastination at work place, taking on extra work, need for external rewards etc.

Thus Yerkes Dodson law is applicable in our day to day life events and can be observed by a common man although there’s no proven scientific basis for this law.

WAYS TO AVOID TOXIC PRODUCTIVITY

• Avoid procrastination. Excessive procrastination often leads to building up of work load in the future which in turn may force an individual to work extra hours to compensate previously lost time.
• Indulge in healthy competition instead of unhealthy.
• Strike a balance between work life and personal life. Paying heed to only ones work can have negative consequences. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” The proverb may after all have a scientific base to it.
• Have a  designed work schedule to manage work and set realistic goals and work accordingly  without accumulating for future or taking up extra load which one can’t manage.