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Escaping the Productivity Trap

Writer's picture: Steph LinnSteph Linn


Hey, Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)-


There's a trap...


a societal and cultural trap...


around thinking that the only thing you have that's valuable is your productivity.


We receive messages all the time that we need to "get more done," "achieve," "accomplish," and "work hard to earn our way."


I'm down for accomplishment and achievement as much as the next person.


Many Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) love improving and growing as a crucial part of our lives.


And it's super satisfying to complete something you find meaningful and important!


Where this concept goes off the rails in practice is this never-ending drive to go-go-go and do more and more and more without a freaking break!


As soon as we figure out how to do something faster or more efficiently, as soon as we actually feel competent at something, we're taught to add EVEN MORE to our plate.


I saw this constantly in my previous business as a professional organizer.


Having an easy paperwork system or clear countertops often didn't feel like enough to some of my clients.


There was this lingering feeling for many that they needed to have a magazine-worthy kitchen, or a Pinterest-perfect filing system, as some kind of proof that they'd made the absolute best use of their time.


As though the Time Police would cite them for being "lazy" or "careless" otherwise.


"How dare you take time to rest and relax! There's always more to be done!"


It wasn't productivity for the sake of enjoying the process and the downtime more.


It was productivity in service of more productivity.


Here's a thing that might annoy you about High Sensitivity - you need a lot of rest.


More than the average person.


You process a TON of information in a short span of time.


And your brain needs breaks.


It's true for everyone but especially for HSPs, productivity is only valuable when it serves a specific purpose and has a clear stopping point.


Productivity without direction and with no breaks turns into busy-work, procrastination, and burnout.


Not to mention, it's a contributing factor to many of the most common HSP challenges like perfectionism, analysis paralysis, and imposter syndrome.


You deserve better!


You deserve to get things done AND read a book, take a nap, go for a walk, enjoy a cup of tea, and celebrate what you've done instead of immediately moving onto the next thing!



You shouldn't have to feel guilty that you're not wringing every last ounce of productivity out of your daily allotment of energy and focus.


You are entitled, yes entitled, to enjoy your life, whether or not you spend that extra 15 minutes decluttering.


That's what I'm talking about in this week's episode of the Highly Sensitive Club - how to escape the productivity trap.


Listen on your favorite podcast app and / or watch on YouTube.


In the episode, I cover:

  • What the productivity trap looks like in your life and the kind of thoughts that create it.


  • The three mentalities - Victim, Worker, and Creator - and how they contribute to the productivity trap.


  • How to find your value when you're not constantly on the move and trying to prove something.


  • The simple thought that helps you make progress steadily and with little to no drama.


Here's a quick story from my life around productivity.


I really love tarot cards and oracle cards.


I pull a card each day from two decks I keep in my office.



I like to see if cards "pop out" of the deck while I'm shuffling or if one of them goes askew.


Sometimes I shuffled until I get an intuitive sense to stop.


It's always spookily accurate to what's going on in my life - especially the Lumin Oracle!


Last week, I was thinking through how I want to spend my time now that things have changed after the car crash six weeks ago.


On this particular day, as I was processing my calendar and my ideal week, I had three cards from the two decks either fall out or land askew.


All three cards had to do with Release.


One of them is specifically called The Well (from The Harmony Tarot), which is about feeling trapped and needing severance from old habits.


It's about escaping from negative patterns and moving up and out from dark places (like a metaphorical well).



It took me a while to figure out what the Release message was referring to because productivity is something deeply ingrained in me - as I bet it is for you.


But I kept coming back to the idea that I was falling into old habits of filling my schedule without direction or intention simply to feel like I wasn't "wasting my time."


Which, of course, is a sure way to waste your time.


Here's the thought I came up with that might help you through this too.


"Preparation, action, AND rest are all valuable and part of the process."


You need all three to get where you want to go.


Since then, I've been paying special attention to releasing old, limiting beliefs and patterns around productivity when I get coached.


It's the reason I was so aware when my clients have been sharing similar thoughts and concerns about productivity lately.


And it's the reason I wanted to share this message with you today.


Your value comes from being you, not from how much you do.


The sooner you figure out who you want to be, the sooner you stop caring about whether or not you're "busy" enough to prove yourself.


Productivity, shmoductivity!

Steph



P.S. Sound good but you have no idea how to make this happen in your life? Book a call with me. It's a free 60-minute call where you'll get clarity around your vision and what's standing in the way so you have a clear plan to make a lasting change. Yes, it's totally  possible for you to escape the productivity trap for good.

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