The psychology behind increasing your productivity during the pandemic

From making sourdough to online yoga classes, it seems that some of us are using this time in quarantine to be productive. We talked to a registered psychologist to get her thoughts on why this was happening. (And why it’s totally okay if increasing your productivity isn’t top of mind right now).

Haven’t mastered a new recipe or taken up a hobby yet? Registered psychologist Katie Turner doesn’t want you to worry about it.

Many of us may be feeling as though we should be productive during this time at home. But Turner, a registered psychologist from Calgary, thinks we need to stop putting so much pressure on ourselves. Increased productivity, she says, can be a sign of different ways that people handle stress.

“People have two different ways of dealing with stress,” Turner says. “Some go into over-functioning mode. They like to stay really busy and get a lot of stuff done. Others go into an under-functioning mode. They may find they have a hard time just getting out of bed. Both over-functioning and under-functioning can have their downsides.”

Turner went on to explain that over-functioners tend to keep themselves busy with various tasks. They often avoid processing or dealing with what they are really feeling. There’s a greater risk of burnout or crashing later as a result of keeping these emotions bottled up.

At the same time, under-functioners may become less competent when stressed, letting others take over instead. Psychologist Harriet Lerner’s book, The Dance of Connection, explains this. Lerner suggests looking at these behaviours as a response to anxiety, rather than a truth about an individual.

The power of social media and negative self-comparison

Sometimes it can be all too easy to fall down the rabbit hole of scrolling through social media feeds. This can bring about additional stress. Especially if someone feels all of their friends are being more productive these days than they are.

“There’s a lot of negative self-comparison brought about by social media,” Turner says. “There’s always the danger of comparing yourself to someone else’s highlight reel. But the reality is, you don’t always know what’s going on behind the scenes.”

Setting boundaries and building self-compassion

I asked Turner for her thoughts on how to avoid comparing oneself to others.

“Monitor your time on social media, but also monitor what you’re seeing. Who are you following? What platforms are you using? Some channels are more positive and uplifting than others. Try to set boundaries based on that.”

She also mentioned the importance of having compassion for yourself.

“Therapy and personal development work can be helpful,” Turner explains. “As can working on your own inner dialogue. Build compassion for yourself. Don’t build the negative chatter that so often happens in our inner dialogue with ourselves.

Feeling productive without getting overwhelmed

Before starting to tick off tasks on a lengthy To Do list, Turner recommends taking a step back.

“Ask yourself ‘Is this something that is actually a priority that I want to make time for?’” she says. “Or is it a pressure that you don’t need right now?”

Making a realistic To Do list is key, according to Turner.

“What is reasonable to expect of another person?” she says. “That’s what you need to consider.”

And when it comes to your To Do list, sometimes less is more.

“Aim for less tasks, not more,” she explains. “Otherwise you always feel like you fell short. Be realistic about how much time stuff actually takes. It’s far better for productivity to feel like you actually completed a smaller number of tasks.”

It’s okay to relax

During our conversation, Turner and I discussed our own feelings of productivity.

“I’m less productive than normal, and I have zero expectations on myself to bake,” she told me. “I don’t think there’s a blanket answer for everyone.”

“As a society, we are over-scheduled a lot. Maybe your body could actually use some time right now to recover. We are productivity focused in our culture — and it’s not always a good thing.”

Finding balance

Turner advises to do enough so you can maintain some sense of normalcy. But also give yourself permission to rest.

Setting a routine might be part of it. She notes that it doesn’t have to be exactly the same as it was before the pandemic. And also that’s it’s important to be flexible with yourself.

“We get a dopamine hit when we actually accomplish goals,” she said. “If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start by setting a few small goals. Some examples might be getting outside for 10 minutes today, or having a shower by a certain time. It’s just about getting the momentum going.”

Turner says the most important thing to bear in mind is that we’re going through a world crisis right now, and need to go easy on ourselves.

“We need to put this into perspective, and be gentle with ourselves” she observed. “Take it day by day, and know that some days are going to be harder than others.”

Originally published on Lumino Health