You’re Not Lazy—You’re Probably Just Human (A Radical Take on Productivity)
Let’s talk about productivity.
Because somewhere along the way, we seem to have collectively decided that being productive means:
always doing
always achieving
always pushing
And if you’re not actively producing something?
Well… clearly you’re doing it wrong.
As a therapist, I see this all the time—especially with millennials and younger generations.
There’s this constant, low-level pressure humming in the background:
👉 “I should be doing more.”
👉 “I should be further along.”
👉 “I shouldn’t be resting right now.”
And I’m going to say something that might feel slightly rebellious:
👉 That version of productivity is exhausting.
Because what I’m seeing isn’t increased success.
I’m seeing:
burnout
anxiety
chronic exhaustion
people who feel like they’re constantly behind in a race they didn’t even sign up for
Let’s define “productive” for a second
Productive technically means:
👉 producing a result
Seems simple enough.
But here’s the question we’re not asking:
👉 What kind of result are we producing?
Because if the result is:
burnout
irritability
poor focus
running on caffeine and vibes
I’m not sure that’s the kind of productivity we were going for.
Your brain has entered the chat
Here’s the part that’s actually backed by science:
Your brain is not designed to go nonstop.
It works in cycles—often referred to as ultradian rhythms.
👉 Focus → fatigue → reset → repeat
(Kind of like a toddler… just with better vocabulary and a credit card.)
Research consistently shows that:
taking breaks improves focus
stepping away boosts creativity
rest actually increases overall productivity
Which means…
👉 Pushing through exhaustion isn’t productive—it’s counterproductive.
But let’s be honest
Rest can feel uncomfortable.
Because rest, in our current culture, often gets translated as:
👉 lazy
👉 unmotivated
👉 “not doing enough”
So instead, we push.
And push.
And push.
Until our brain essentially says:
👉 “That’s adorable. I’m shutting down now.”
Let’s try a reframe
What if productivity included things like:
taking a walk
stepping away from your screen
laughing
doing absolutely nothing for five minutes
Yes. Even that last one.
Because those things don’t take away from your productivity.
👉 They support it.
A different question to ask
Instead of:
👉 “Am I being productive enough?”
Try:
👉 “Am I giving my brain what it needs to function well?”
Because when your brain is supported:
you think more clearly
you make better decisions
you get more meaningful work done
The irony of it all
The people who are the most driven, the most motivated, the most “productive”…
Are often the ones who struggle the most with allowing themselves to rest.
And yet…
👉 Rest is not a reward.
👉 It’s a requirement.
After 30+ years in this field, here’s what I know
Pushing harder isn’t always the answer.
Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is:
step away
reset
breathe
take care of yourself
(And yes, I fully consider laughing, going outside, and occasionally doing absolutely nothing as highly productive activities.)
The bottom line
You’re not lazy.
You’re human.
And your brain works best when you treat it that way.