![8 signs you’re stuck in a cycle of toxic productivityand how to get out of it [Video]](https://smallbizsage.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/mp_351747_0_1080913021737644303731gettyimages1030253838pi1706058jpeg.jpg)
It might be hard to believe that productivity can be anything but positive, but when taken to extremes, even a good thing can have drawbacks.
The negative side of “always getting things done” is commonly referred to by experts as “toxic productivity.”
Toxic productivity involves “working and needing to be productive, even at the detriment of your own health and wellbeing,” says Jennifer Moss, professional speaker and author of “Why Are We Here?: Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants.”
You feel like “no matter what, you’re in a sense of urgency,” Moss says. It’s the “societal pressure to always be performing and always be productive.”
Toxic productivity can mimic signs of burnout. But unlike burnout, you’re still able to complete your tasks and stay engaged. Still, this doesn’t allow you to perform sustainably.
“One of the things that we start to see is that after people are working so many hours, they actually are losing productivity, so …
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