How to manage drive for compulsive productivity

IF you ask my friends or colleagues to describe me, the unanimous response would be “she’s someone who gets things done”.

- ALEXIS ZAHNER

Creative rest is about immersing yourself in nature and beauty without the demand to produce outputs.

(I Freepik)

It’s become a well-worn badge of honour for me. Productivity isn't something I do, it’s become something I am — and it’s exhausting.

As it turns out, I’m not alone in this — research shows that those of us who value productivity above all else are far more likely to experience chronic stress or burnout. In the results of one particular 2025 study, more than one-third of the workforce reported being chronically stressed or burned out last year — revealing just how widespread high levels of chronic stress and burnout actually are.

Many of us feel like we're walking a delicate line between balance and being overwhelmed. And what makes it worse is the constant pervading message that in order to be successful, we have to do it all and be it all - all at once.

By today’s standards, success looks like a demanding but highly paid career that we're deeply passionate about; while also training for a half-marathon, maintaining an A-list celebrity skincare routine and jetting off somewhere new every holiday. It’s a lot. But while societal, cultural and workplace demands all definitely play a role, it is often our own self-imposed expectations that drive the need to be compulsively productive.

Here are some reasons why we feel this way: