Forget Productivity Hacks: Why Being Present Actually Works

High-functioning people are often focused on time-management, meeting goals, and measuring productivity. While there is nothing wrong with this approach if it’s working for you, it can sometimes be counterproductive. 

Initially it might have yielded good results in exams and early stage careers, but eventually it can bring a sense of disconnection or emptiness. This can affect the energy levels, focus and insight that drove your original success, and you find yourself having to work harder just to stay in the same place. 

Maybe you are teetering on the brink of burnout as you seek to wring every last drop of productivity out of your time, even though you no longer feel much pride or satisfaction in your achievements. 

Even if you are still seeing the results you need in your professional life, inside you are feeling increasingly disillusioned and less optimistic about the future. Maybe you are becoming irritable and socially withdrawn, or suffering from unexplained digestive problems or skin issues.  

If any of this sounds familiar, it could be because you are stuck in the productivity trap. Here’s a look at why it can be toxic, and how learning to be more present can help you to heal. 

Why productivity is a trap 

Modern life is constructed around the need for speed and efficiency, and many self-help ‘gurus’ offer endless tips about time management and organisation. However, constant busyness can be a way of masking what’s going on underneath. 

No matter how much you achieve, work just generates more work, and high achievers can end up hooking their whole self-worth on their ability to be productive. No matter how much we achieve, there will always be a new goal on the horizon or a new kid in town to keep up with. 

Over time, this can make even work that once seemed meaningful to become joyless and unrewarding. 

Why presence can outperform productivity

When we cultivate the ability to simply sit with our experience instead of trying to constantly fill our time with structure and goals, we can unlock powerful feelings that lead to real and sustainable change. However, it’s just not practical for most people to simply step back from their duties and perform mindfulness exercises all day: jobs still need to be done. 

So what is the answer? There’s no one-size-fits all, because everybody’s situation is unique to their circumstances, personality type and particular life challenges. However, it’s possible to practice being present without doing a complete swerve from your everyday routine. 

Even a daily five minute window where you allow yourself to check in with the way you are feeling can make a difference. This could be through journaling, or just allowing yourself to sit with an uncomfortable emotion such as anxiety or boredom and allow yourself to feel it rather than bury it with more work. 

Try naming what you feel by saying it out loud or writing it down: this reduces its intensity and helps you gain clarity and insight. 

How therapy can help you to reconnect 

Many people who’ve been running on the productivity treadmill for years find it very difficult to slow down and connect with their inner self: it feels risky, and when you try there’s just a blank wall. If this resonates with you, then trying to develop emotional clarity by yourself can be impossible. You might benefit from Internal Family Systems therapy. 

This is a relatively new type of psychotherapy that helps you to identify and reunite all the ‘parts’ of your psyche. This will ultimately help you to become more present and give you the mental space to move beyond the productivity trap. For example, when we are more attuned to our authentic emotional state, we can understand and move through problems better.

This leads to a greater mental clarity that helps us to make better decisions rather than fall back into subconscious thought patterns. It also means that our brains are better at encoding and retrieving information, so we have greater focus and memory. 

You will notice your energy levels increase, because when we are fully present and connected, our mental batteries are being recharged rather than drained in an empty cycle of productivity. 

You’ll be working with your whole self, rather than using all your willpower to chase ever moving goal posts. Ultimately, it can bring back that sense of enjoying the process rather than just the outcome, which is really the only truly productive way to spend our lives.