8 Tips to Deal with Burnout & 'Productivity Dysmorphia'

I've recently learned a new term called 'productivity dysmorphia' (thank you Lavinia Iosub ).

It describes the feeling some people get when they underestimate their own achievements and abilities, and compare themselves negatively to others. This in turn may give you a sense of anxiety and depression – and may be linked with a feeling of being overwhelmed by work and where you’re unable to create a meaningful work-life balance.

Everyone suffering from productivity dysmorphia will experience it differently, based on unique circumstances. You may even have ‘imposter syndrome’ where you feel like others think that you are more accomplished, more intelligent, and more successful than you actually are (or feel).

It’s important to realise when you’ve reached a stage of feeling burned-out from too much work and mental exhaustion as it can be bad for your emotional and physical wellbeing. Living in this state of depression, anxiety and stress doesn’t have to be your reality – there are ways to address burnout and maintain happiness and balance in your life.

Tips for dealing with burnout, productivity dysmorphia and how to achieve better balance:

• Take a break: It’s important to schedule and make time for mental breaks during each day, where you let your body and mind relax and unwind. You have to find what type of break suits you best. For example, I do some light workout exercises during most of my morning breaks.
• Be organised and have a to-do list: By making a list of things that you want to achieve each week, you can prioritise what you want to focus on and try to be efficient in getting those things done.
• Be time-efficient: Recognising inefficiencies in our day, can help us to prioritise what needs to be done, so that we are more productive and have more time for the things that we want to do after work like spending time with family, exercising or seeing friends. Being time-efficient is a skill and there are many ways to support this in your life. From calendars, reminders, and schedules – there are tools that can help you to be more efficient, productive and to have more of a work-life balance.
• Go on vacation: This is particularly tricky for freelancers and business owners. I remember not taking any single vacation/day off during the first 2 years of my business career. Obviously, digital nomads - like anyone else - need to take holidays. ..
• Connect with friends and see people in person: Many of us have suffered from too much screen time during the pandemic and the lack of physical connection with people has had a negative effect on many people. And with so many Zoom meetings, you may have Zoom fatigue or a feeling of Zoom dysmorphia, which can lead to stress, anxiety and depression. That’s why it’s important, now that the end of the pandemic seems in sight, to re-establish real connection with friends and family once again.
• Meditate on a daily basis: I don't think we should meditate like 'Tibetan monks' but 10-15min/day seems to be a good duration based on my experience.
• Rethink your notion of productivity and success: Realising that taking time off and leading a life of balance can be good for you and can actually help you be more productive, should also make you feel better about shifting your paradigm. You may even want to start doing daily affirmations about your refined sense of success to help encourage and motivate you to live a life of passion and purpose, that’s filled with happiness, wellness and zest.
• Celebrate your successes: If you’re in the habit of undermining and undervaluing your own achievements and successes, then perhaps you need to find ways to celebrate them more often. For example, if you get positive feedback from your boss or customers about your work, then write it down and create a list of all these positive accomplishments. Or if you meet your goals and targets, you could tick these off and write a list of everything that you have achieved that you set out for each year. Every time you get a compliment, celebrate it as a success. And learn to let go of all the negative emotions and feelings that you have about your accomplishments.

Do you apply these tips for yourself? Please feel free to share your tips to deal with burnout in the comments ??