You lead a busy life, constantly occupied with work. When asked by friends and family about recent activities, you often respond with a simple "work." But how many times have you promised yourself a day off, a break, or some free time to do what you truly want, only to find yourself thinking about all the other things you could be doing?

It's challenging to sit still, relax, and give yourself a chance to rest. Your mind and body resist the idea, and with an endless to-do list, it seems counterproductive to simply sit and do nothing. The stillness is unfamiliar and unsettling.

Busy professional women often find themselves trapped in a cycle of toxic productivity, overwhelmed by personal and professional obligations. Sometimes, it's not until you're fully in the midst of it and experiencing the negative consequences that you realize what's been happening.

In this blog, I’m sharing 5 signs of toxic productivity and how they could be impacting you.

I’m an online therapist for stress and overwhelm. I’m located in Wilmington, NC, and provide online therapy to clients all over North Carolina and Maryland.

If any of this sounds familiar, and you are ready to start overcoming toxic productivity, click the button to schedule a free consultation with me.

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Keep reading to learn 5 signs of toxic productivity.

5 Signs of Toxic Productivity

Busy professional women, especially entrepreneurs and business owners develop habits that can lead to toxic productivity. Check out these 5 common signs of toxic productivity to see if you can relate.

You're Working More Hours Than Ever

If you find that you're working more hours than ever but not getting any more done, it may be a sign that you're in a state of toxic productivity. Working long hours is not sustainable and will eventually lead to burnout. If you're working more hours but not seeing an increase in your productivity, it's time to take a step back and reassess your work habits.

You're Constantly Stressed

Another sign of toxic productivity is feeling constantly stressed. When you're in a state of toxic productivity, you're putting so much pressure on yourself to be productive that it's taking a toll on your mental and physical health. If you find yourself feeling stressed all the time, it's time to take a break and reassess your priorities.

You've Lost Your Motivation

If you've lost your motivation to do anything other than work, it's a sign that you're in a state of toxic productivity. When you're in this state, work becomes the only thing that matters and everything else falls by the wayside. If you've lost your motivation for things that used to make you happy, it's time to take a step back and evaluate your priorities.

You're Neglecting Your Health

When you're in a state of toxic productivity, you may start to neglect your health in favor of work. This can lead to problems such as poor sleep habits, poor nutrition, and even physical illness. If you find yourself neglecting your health, take a step back and reassess your priorities.

You're Isolating Yourself

If you find yourself isolating yourself from friends and family to get work done, it's a sign that you're in a state of toxic productivity. When you're in this state, work becomes more important than your relationships. If you find that you have been isolating yourself, take a break and create time to reconnect in the relationships that matter the most to you.

Get Started in Online Therapy for Stress and Overwhelm for Busy Professional Women

Toxic productivity doesn’t have to take over your life. You’re busy enough as it is and toxic productivity habits can increase your “busy” and wear you down.

Thankfully, these habits can be reworked into healthier and more sustainable practices.

At Calm Waters Counseling, I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help high achievers and busy professional women go toward their goals.

Learn more about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Take the steps to get started in therapy today. Follow these 4 simple steps:

Book the Consultation - Schedule your free 15-minute consultation on a day and time of your choice
Complete the Questionnaire - Within 24hrs you will receive a brief questionnaire about availability and reasons for seeking therapy.
Be Ready for the Call - I will call you on your chosen day and time, review the completed questionnaire, and get to know more about you. At this time we can also set up your intake appointment.
Your Intake Appointment - Meet with Laura, your ACT therapist, to get started with therapy for stress and overwhelm.

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Online Therapy for Stress and Overwhelm in North Carolina and Maryland

In addition to online therapy for stress and overwhelm, I also help busy professional women and high achievers work through other problems and challenges.

Listed below are other specialty areas:

Treatment for Perfectionism - Your expectations are high and often unmet by others. Your perfectionism can leave you stressed out and can create havoc on the relationships most important to you.

Counseling for Burnout - Somehow you’ve traded motivation and enjoyment in the work you do with exhaustion and dread. You’ve wondered if it is you, the job, or is it something else?

Therapy for Entrepreneurs - Having a business is a lot of hard work. I get it. It’s always something and it’s nonstop. All the hard work is leaving you drained, pulled in so many directions, and ignoring the other parts of your life that matter to you.

Therapy for High Achievers - You’re at the top of your game and always striving to reach your next goal. And it can be lonely too, especially when others just don’t get it.

Want to learn more about online therapy?