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Why Gen Z Needs to Quit Toxic Productivity Culture – Now
In the age of LinkedIn hustle posts and side hustle culture, Gen Z professionals are being subtly and not so subtly taught that their worth is tied to how exhausted they are. We’ve been sold a dream where constant productivity equals success, and rest is weakness. But here’s the truth: burnout isn’t a badge of honour. It’s a warning sign. And it’s time we listen.
In today’s ever-agile society (largely influenced by boundary-breaking technological advancements), it’s easy for us to get caught up in the pursuit of the next thing without taking the time to give our bodies the attention and care that they truly deserve. Far too often, we’re unopposed to the dangers of constantly being and appearing “productive”, that we forget REST is also a productive and necessary activity.
While we as Gen-Z’ers tend to boast that we’re not like the other generations and that we’re breaking the societal moulds, I can’t help but notice that many of us still have that insatiable desire to keep going and going until our bodies can’t go any more. For a generation that prides itself on being more efficient and non-conforming to many of the known ills of the corporate workplace culture, we’ve surely had a superb time proliferating many of the toxic work behaviours that we’ve so vehemently spoken out against.
- Say YES to Remote Work, but you’re clocking more ungodly hours after work.
- Say YES to Work/Life Balance, but you’re having trouble prioritising rest.
- Say NO to Hustle Culture, but you’re hustling more now than ever in and outside of work.
- Say YES to Mental Health, but there’s nothing healthy about your mental health right now.
I can probably go on and on, but I’ll stop the lashings there lol. Now, trust me, I can relate! For someone who preaches prioritisation of rest and reflection, I surely have a hard time actually resting in my downtime. My intrusive thoughts of “I could be more productive”, “I could be doing more on XYZ rn”, and “Maybe I’m just being lazy” tend to act ALL THE WAY UP even when I know my body and soul are clearly telling me to disengage, regroup and tap back in at a later date.
You see, life itself is engineered to facilitate ebbs and flows, troughs and peaks, and to take us through a well-calculated journey and not these 100m sprints we tend to prefer. The problem exacerbates when we rebel against this natural order and internalise that we need to chase incessantly after our goals to achieve them. Admittedly, while effort is crucial to actualising our goals, our mindset is also equally important.
A few days’ rest from the grind to clear your thoughts is not going to shoot you in the leg. In fact, let’s not even call it a grind at all. Why grind for something that you’re already on a solid trajectory towards? Is it that you truly believe that it’s essential to do so, or is it that a part of you still feels as though you’re undeserving of it? Now, that’s a topic for another day!
Moreover, if you truly want to be your most productive and diligent self, there are times when you’ll need to step away from the playing field to observe and appreciate the plays that you’ve already made and figure out how to line up the next victory. Remember, the race isn’t for the swiftest but for those who endure to the end. Rest is essential if you’re playing the long, marathon game. If you’re looking for quick wins, by all means, race ahead!
If I can leave one thing with you guys, it’s the following statement:
“What is for YOU, is for YOU. It’s not gonna run away from YOU if it’s destined to be YOURS.”
Some might still try to find loopholes in this statement to suit their ideologies and ambitions, but you can’t argue FACTS.
Embrace the need to get up daily and work towards your goals bit by bit, but always remember that those periods of rest are also imperative to running a tight ship that doesn’t sink prematurely or dry rot midway through the journey. Slow and steady wins the race. Never estimate the compounding effects of everyday efforts towards a goal. Some days, you can give it 80%, and other days, sometimes 5% is just enough. The secret is to be in the right mind, body, and soul to give it an extra 40% tomorrow.
Rest is Revolutionary. Embrace it.
