Our Obsession with Productivity is Ruining Everything

If you’ve ever wondered why it’s so hard to listen to your intuition, follow your creative urges or establish truly nourishing self-care rituals, especially when none of the above yields tangible results, listen in, I have a theory I’d like to share.

We’re swimming in a sea of cultural rules and standards and we don’t even know it. Conditioned from the cradle to perform, smile, try, push through, be brave and work hard. For more than fifty years, children, in the world we inherited from the baby boomers, have breathed the restrictive air of capitalist fervour, urgency to succeed and the deep, burrowing fear of failing to be productive members of society. At least for the majority. There’s always been the rebellious few who deign to reject the status quo and join bohemia. Some succeed on this path but many fall to poverty, disillusionment and depression. Because sadly, if you abandon the tribe, the tribe abandons you.

Despite millennia of social evolution, scientific breakthroughs and the amassed wisdom of world religions, spiritual traditions and the arts, we remain enthralled by mass culture. To join the herd is to ensure survival.

And so here we are, in a post-industrialist, highly technologized world where the reel is more powerful than the pen. Words can be generated in mere seconds, rather than extracted from mind and heart, thought by edited thought. Not even people’s images and voices are protected as sacred, unsullied representations of our right to be sovereign individuals.

It’s a bloody strange place compared with our Gen X childhoods of curly-corded home telephones, the one family television – colour if you were middle class - and trips to the cinema to see the latest blockbuster.

Now, funny story, I happen to love social media in very curated, small doses, and I love the internet a lot for how much I can learn and yes, I’ll admit it, buy in an instant. And don’t get me started on podcasts. Obsessed.

What I’m slowly beginning to realise though, is that all of these fascinating forms of entertainment and educational content are propping up our deep, unrelenting belief that we must, at all times be productive. It’s true. Even though there’s a logical part of our brains that judges time staring at our phones as ‘a waste’ and ‘terrible’. There’s a deeper, less conscious stream of awareness experiencing a satisfying sense of achievement every time we scroll. Don’t ask me to explain the neuroscience. All I know, is that our deepest conditioned beliefs sit beneath conscious thought and because they’re not obvious to us, they’re powerful in their ability to control our choices.

The trouble is, these pursuits often leave us feeling empty rather than nourished. What if I told you that spending ten minutes painting a sunset over the ocean with some cheap watercolours would make you feel calm, fulfilled and gently happy? Don’t take my word for it, try it. I’m not kidding but also, how do we go from zero art supplies in the house to playing with watercolours? I have some ideas: We must connect more deeply with our inner voice, our body and our child-self. We must also engage in reassuring self talk to rewire our brains in favour of fun, creative play and rest.

Celebrate taking a nap!

The myth that we must be productive at all times is breaking us as individuals, families and communities. How many people are sharing stories of burn out, workplace stress, overwork, financial stress, feelings of disconnection from partners, family members and friends, dissatisfaction with life and mental and physical health struggles? It’s a widespread problem. And this isn't just about feeling more functional and less freaked out, it's also paving the way for us to express our higher spiritual gifts and elevate our lives.

But first, we must reconnect with ourselves. It can start really simply by adding small activities into your day that are fun or enjoyable and don’t have a tangible outcome. And don’t groan that you don’t have time. Do you have time to scroll for ten minutes or watch TV? Then you have time to put on a song and dance, pick up some pencils and colour-in, write a little silly poem or sit gazing at a tree. The only barrier, is the thought that it’s a waste of time or that you can’t. My suggestion is that as soon as an idea for fun presents itself, we must follow it. If we wait even three seconds, another thought will take its place and that thought is likely to include the phrase “but I should…”

Here's what I’ll leave with you: Our bodies want more of our attention and love. The physical body craves movement, play and rest. Our minds enjoy creative expression and learning by doing, not just watching. Our emotions seek outlets and space to be experienced in real time. Our spirit craves freedom to express its unique energy signature with no pressure to perform in ways that limit or restrict.

Adherence to this culture of chasing productivity above all else is slowly killing joy, freedom, authentic expression, connection, peace, creativity and pleasure. Let’s rebel.

Details are coming soon for our Embody to Rise monthly online women’s circle beginning in early Feb 2026. Join my mailing list below this post to be the first to know.