Mental Health and Its Effect on Productivity
Updated: Dec 23, 2020Table of Contents
If you have been on social media lately, you may have noticed an increasing trend that has been promoting the necessity of productivity during social distancing and isolation. Many influencers have been promoting the opinion that during this “free time” we all have, we should be obtaining new skills, ambitions, achieving goals, and starting side hustles. On social media alone, I have noticed countless fitness challenges, sourdough starters, cleaning challenges, the list goes on.
When we consider the positive outcomes of setting and achieving goals, it can make sense that people have been pushing for productivity levels to increase while we seemingly have more time on our hands than usual. I can appreciate the idea that goal setting and staying busy is a positive approach to quarantine, as this can be incredibly empowering to our well-being. Further, setting and achieving goals can be very effective in creating a sense of purpose and meaning in our lives.
Therefore, it might seem that intentionally increasing productivity doesn’t seem entirely problematic. However, where I begin to question the promotion of productivity is the implications some of these posts have, stating that if you are choosing not to engage in these self-enhancing activities you lack motivation, drive, and are essentially lazy. Such a statement is concerning and problematic, as it does not account for the very real impact that this pandemic has had on our mental health. Everyone has been experiencing the effects of this situation in different ways. For some, this pandemic has created space and time for people to find ways to stay busy, set goals for themselves, and thrive in this situation. However, it has also intensified uncomfortable feelings, worries, and increased mental health concerns for some. if you are someone who has had pre-existing mental health concerns, or are experiencing an increased level of anxiety for the first time, it might be incredibly challenging to expect yourself to be productive during this time.
Mental Health’s Effect on Productivity
Productivity is an interesting topic when considering in its relationship to mental health. Research suggests that mental health has played a significant role in productivity levels, and suggests that individuals who suffer from depression are less likely to be productive both at work, and in daily living. For some people, productivity might be viewed as a coping mechanism. Research suggests that when driven by fear and feelings of helplessness, people begin to search for areas in their lives that they can tangibly control. Productivity is often extrinsically rewarded, meaning that people may find a sense of accomplishment in working harder to prove to themselves and others of what they are capable of achieving.
If you have attended therapy, you will know that often it is encouraged to establish a routine, set realistic goals, and find effective ways to manage mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression. When used within reason, routines and goal setting can be very effective in managing symptoms. However, as we increase the pressure on ourselves to achieve goals, this might increase the impact of potentially failing. Studies have suggested there is a link between perfectionism and depression, and that need to be perfect can lead to avoidance of the deeper underlying concern. Productivity can also be a way of working around avoiding feelings; with the idea that if we busy ourselves with tasks then there will be less of a chance that we have to confront our challenging emotions. When we solely focus on productivity, and performance based coping strategies, we shy away from emotion-focused coping that can help that help us to process our feelings.
When we consider all that we are enduring throughout this pandemic, it can be overwhelming to navigate our emotions and feelings. Major changes and shifts have occurred in our daily lives, routines, and structure. For many, this means a significant increase in mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, fear, and worry. Busying ourselves with tasks might help to manage these feelings and emotions, however this isn’t the case for everyone. Understanding yourself, and attuning to your personal needs and what is best for you is vital during this time. Instead of pressuring ourselves to achieve goals, and pushing the limits of achievement, we first need to understand our own needs. Maybe this looks like slowing down, taking the time to process our emotions, spending time healing, meditating, living in the present moment. Not everyone will find solace in busying themselves with goals and tasks. This is entirely okay, this is your time to choose what is best for you.
When considering attuning to your own needs, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs comes to mind. Maslow is well-known for his development of this model and has been used in conjunction with several other psychological theories that give understanding to how our needs affect our ability to produce, be motivated, and achieve goals.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Abraham Maslow developed what is well known as the Hierarchy of Needs, which is of the understanding that people are motivated by five basic categories of needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. Although this theory has been challenged in more modernized methods of thinking, it has contributed to the research and development of positive psychology. Simply put, Maslow believed that until the first layer of needs are met, humans will not be able to move to the next level of motivation. Physiological needs are the first level, meaning that if someone is tired or hungry, they often are not going to be able to focus on anything else until they are able to attune to those needs. Based on this hierarchy, when we think about where ability to be motivated, achieve goals, and self-betterment, it’s not until we reach the level of Esteem and Self-Actualization that this might be possible. According to the Hierarchy of Needs, we must first experience physiological needs, including shelter, food, water, sleep, and clothing prior to reaching safety, which includes personal security, employment, resources, health, and property.
For most of us currently in this pandemic, we are on the lower end of the pyramid, most likely hovering between physiological needs and safety needs. Many of us have had to adjust to ensuring our physiological needs are met as we are experiencing toilet paper shortages, increased difficulty in grocery shopping, financial security, and affording housing and rent. For the first time in most of our lifetimes, we have experienced extreme difficulty in obtaining our basic needs. Further than that, many of us have lost or have experienced reduction in employment, and are all experiencing concerns with our health and well-being as this pandemic is based around the respiratory virus, COVID-19. Considering all the needs that need to be met before someone feels the level of safety that is necessary to even begin setting goals and achievements, we can begin to understand why it’s so important to attune to our own needs before placing the expectation that we must be productive during this time.
Right now, the most important thing we can do is focus on our own personal needs are met prior to setting unrealistic expectations for ourselves. In a goal-oriented, success driven society this is not a widely understood or popular view. However, we must remember: how are we supposed to consider achieving unrealistic goals and reaching self-actualization, if our basic needs aren’t being met?
However, we must remember: how are we supposed to consider achieving unrealistic goals and reaching self-actualization, if our basic needs aren’t being met?
Setting Realistic Expectations and Goals
As we learned earlier, evidence suggests goals do play an important role in providing us with purpose and meaning. Setting goals can be effective in promoting your own well-being as long as you understand your limitations and what you are capable of and able to manage in your current situation. We now know that once we attune to our own needs, we may have to adjust our expectation and set realistic goals within our means. This time during the pandemic has been impactful. Many people, for the first time are experiencing higher than usual levels of anxiety or situational depression. People are feeling worry, fear, increased concern for themselves and those around them. These changes in your own mental health may require you to lower or alter the expectations you have of yourself.
Set Short Term Goals
When we consider setting goals, often times people will set long term goals based on big dreams that we want to strive towards. When we have big expectations for ourselves, it can feel as though we are failing if we aren’t actively able to achieve these goals. It’s therefore very important to adjust our goals and expectations of ourselves to our current abilities and situation. Provided our current pandemic, short term goals are the most effective and realistic goals to set. Short term goals are those that you want to achieve in the near future; meaning within the next week, month, or even year. Given the pandemic, and its impact on our ability to look far into the future, you might find it more effective to think of these goals in terms of ones that you can achieve within hours, days, weeks. Research suggests that achieving short term goals has a very positive impact on our well-being by increasing mood, along with feelings of motivation and achievement.
Set Personal Goals
Goals are very personal, and therefore are important to set for yourself alone. Social media has promoted goal setting as somewhat universal, which then promotes comparison and feelings of failure if we are unable to achieve these goals. Focusing on our own needs and abilities is when we can begin to understand our limits and can effectively begin to construct goals that fit for us individually. In order to set yourself up for success and prior to setting these goals, you must first check in with yourself and where are at. Ask yourself these simple questions. Are your basic needs met? Are you tired? Hungry? Stressed or triggered? What is your anxiety level on a scale from 1-10? These questions should provide you with a basic understanding of where you are at, and can help you to set realistic goals that are achievable within your current needs.
Start Small
When setting short term goals, start by setting 3 small intentions, or goals for your day. Try setting goals that are something that you feel easy for you to attain. Remember, the size or the significance of the goal is dependent on you alone. Every night before bed, reflect back on the goals that you set. Were you able to obtain them? If you did, how did it feel to achieve it? Did you feel a sense of satisfaction? If you didn’t, check in with yourself. Did you set an unrealistic goal? Use this information merely as a way to gauge your goal setting. By bringing awareness to your tolerance and productivity level you will then set yourself up for success and allow you to work within your means.
It’s important to remember that this pandemic has been very challenging on people, mentally, emotionally, physically. Everyone has a different tolerance level and ability to cope with adverse situations. Allow your feelings to exist, adjust your expectations, and do what you can with the best of your ability. Instead of worrying that we are not doing enough, being enough, producing enough, try to simply try to focus on the here and now.
Online Therapy with FP Counselling
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