The email came in at midnight. She was still awake. “Just one more task,” she told herself, like she had the night before…and the one before that. She was all about working hard, thinking that’s how you move up, but instead of feeling good about it, she was just tired.
She was successful (or so she thought), but not enjoying the entirety of it. She seemed to have accomplished a lot, but felt uhm…stuck.
⚖️The Old Me
That was me from 2011 to 2019.
And I didn’t know that I was experiencing burnout in all those years because I was highly functioning. I grew up with the mindset that long hours meant relentless productivity. I got used to the philosophy that the key to success is grinding harder.
More work doesn’t always mean better results or greater happiness. In my case, it led me to the opposite.
I’ll share with you why working harder isn’t the answer, how the productivity trap keeps us spinning our wheels, and most importantly, how to break free from it for a more balanced, fulfilling life.
⚖️The Productivity Myth
Growing up, I got entwined with this formula for success. I should work harder so that I can achieve more, and then eventually, be happier.
I didn’t realize that it’s the foundation of hustle culture. It’s the belief that grinding through long hours and endless to-do lists will eventually lead me to success and fulfillment.
I was proud of holding on to this belief. I glorified it. I felt like a heroine.
But, now that I’m older and more balanced at how I look at things, I see where the problem is.
The formula is flawed.I’ve reached a certain point when working harder was no longer giving me better results.
Mental fatigue sets in and my creativity declines. Instead of feeling accomplished, I feel drained.
Instead of finding happiness, I end up chasing an ever-moving finish line.
My realization is that productivity isn’t about how much I can and will do. It’s about doing the right things in a way that sustains me.
⚖️Signs You Might Be Stuck in the Productivity Trap
If after taking a break, your guilt creeps in instead of feeling relaxed…
If your mind whispers, “Shouldn’t I be doing something productive?”…
You might be caught in the productivity trap.
One of the biggest red flags is feeling guilty when resting, as if slowing down means falling behind.
Another sign? Measuring your self-worth by your to-do list.
If your value feels tied to how much you accomplish rather than how you feel, it’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of overwork.
Despite being constantly busy, you still find yourself feeling unfulfilled, like you’re running on a treadmill but never reaching your destination, then you may need to break free.
⚖️ The Science Behind Balance & Happiness
I was so glad when I chanced upon this article and good news! Science backs up what I have felt firsthand!
The Economics Department at Stanford University discusses how increasing working hours can lead to diminishing returns, where additional work results in smaller increases in output.
There’s a limit to how much work we can do before productivity starts to decline and that after a certain point, putting in more effort leads to fewer or even negative results.
This happened to me many times!
Working too much just slowed me down. It hurt my creativity, weakened my decision-making, and increased stress levels. There’s an article that talks about this and I understood what was happening to me back then.
There were times when I’d struggled to think critically, solve problems, or generate new ideas. Honestly, there was more excessive work than effective work.
2020 happened and things slowly changed for me. That was when I truly understood what mattered in life.
I wanted to create real impact but not at the expense of draining my energy without meaningful progress. That’s when I came up with a solution.
I decided to shift from mindless hustle to intentional productivity. I aimed at working in a way that supports both achievement and well-being.
⚖️How Did I Break Free from the Productivity Trap
As the eldest daughter in an Asian household, it was natural for me to push myself harder because it was ingrained in me that it was the only way to succeed.
Rest felt like laziness and I measured my worth by how much I accomplished in a day.
I’m glad that now that I’m in my 40s, I’m in my 70% journey of breaking free from this productivity trap. There are days when it’s still challenging but here’s what helped me and I hope you can find something here of value.
1. I redefined success.
I really worked hard on this first step. I redefined success on my own terms. Instead of measuring it by the number of tasks I completed or the hours I worked, I started asking myself:
Am I making real progress on things that matter?
Do I feel energized and inspired by my work?
Am I living a balanced life that allows space for joy, rest, and creativity?
I shifted my focus from hustling harder to working smarter, choosing quality over quantity, impact over busyness. Success became less about checking off endless to-dos and more about aligning my work with my values, energy, and well-being.
Honestly, when I made this shift, I didn’t just feel more productive. I felt more motivated.
2. I started setting clear boundaries between work and rest.
At first, setting boundaries felt impossible. I was so used to working really early, taking in more clients, and squeezing in “just one more task” before bed.
I knew something had to change.
I started by defining my work hours, deciding when my workday would start and more importantly, when it would end. I silenced notifications after hours and created a shutdown ritual to mentally separate work from personal time. Instead of checking emails first thing in the morning, I gave myself time to ease into the day with exercise or a short walk.
One of the biggest game-changers? Scheduling rest as intentionally as I scheduled work.
I blocked out time for breaks, hobbies, and time with loved ones just like I would for an important meeting. And I learned to protect that time without guilt.
The result? My work became more focused and efficient because I wasn’t running on empty. Setting boundaries didn’t make me less productive.It made me more effective while also enjoying life.
3. I learned to prioritize deep and focused work over constant busyness.
For so many years, I was mistaking motion for progress so to engage in focused work was truly a challenge.
It took me a year to streamline my freelance business. I had to eliminate tasks that didn’t truly move the needle. I said goodbye to clients whose business did not align with my vision. I talked about this thoroughly in this blog post.
I started time-blocking my schedule, dedicating specific hours to deep work with no distractions. I turned off notifications, set my phone on Do Not Disturb, and created a focused workspace free from interruptions.
Now, instead of measuring my success by how much I do, I measure it by how much meaningful work I complete.
⚖️The New Me
Breaking free from the productivity trap isn’t about abandoning ambition. It’s about embracing a more sustainable way of working. Instead of glorifying busyness, I now prioritize meaningful work, intentional rest, and a balanced approach to success.
It took me a while to get to this stage. I had to unlearn the idea that working harder always leads to better results and instead embrace the power of working smarter, with purpose and balance.
Now, my days are no longer ruled by an endless to-do list or the guilt of not doing “enough.” I’m now seeing firsthand that true productivity isn’t measured by the number of hours worked, but by the impact and fulfillment those hours create.
I don’t have to earn rest. I don’t have to hustle to prove my worth. I have the power to redefine productivity in a way that aligns with my life, my values, and my well-being.
(We write our content in the hope of making you, our readers, feel a little more inspired in a time when you’re probably feeling low. We hope you feel a little lighter after visiting our site. Then, we know we’ve served our purpose.⭐)
