REDEFINING PRODUCTIVITY: THE POWER OF ‘DOING NOTHING’

When was the last time you felt guilty for doing nothing? That feeling of guilt for not ‘producing’ something is more common than we’d like to admit. But what does it really reveal about us and the society we live in?

One of the most urgent and necessary reflections for 2025 is revisiting the impact that the more critical periods of the pandemic had on us. During isolation, we were swept up in a frantic rush to fill the void left by the lack of social connection, as if productivity were the only valid response to fear, uncertainty, and loneliness. We transformed our homes into offices, our routines into task marathons, and our minds into battlefields in the daily struggle against the constant feeling that “we needed to do more.” The pressure to fill every minute with some form of productivity wasn’t just imposed by external circumstances, but also by a societal discourse that values relentless action as proof of personal worth.

Today, more than 3 years after the end of restrictions, the question still resonates in our hearts and minds: Was it a mistake to believe that confinement should have been a period of constant production? What happened to us when we couldn’t rest, take real breaks, or live without the pressure of incessant productivity? The impact of this on mental health is clear and devastating. What does the confinement experience teach us, and more importantly, how can we learn from it to create a healthier and more sustainable scenario for the future?

The Productivity Culture Beyond Work

“Leisure is a great good, not because it is an end in itself, but because it is the necessary space for reflecting on life and connecting with ourselves.” — Aristotle

The relentless pursuit of productivity is not limited to the work environment, or, as many of my clients say, it permeates many areas of our personal life. In other words, the relentless pursuit of productivity truly transcends the boundaries of the workplace, affecting various areas of life. Often, we are so focused on “doing more” that we forget to live fully, savor the moment, and pay attention to what really matters.

This is reflected in personal, family, and even self-care expectations. During confinement, many found themselves in a dilemma: even in their free time, the feeling that they weren’t doing enough to “improve” remained. During moments that should have been for rest, activities like exercising, learning a new language, or consuming “productive” content emerged as alternatives to simply enjoying leisure. This “productivity in leisure” is a reflection of a society that transforms free time into yet another task to be completed. After all, it’s no longer enough to rest or disconnect — we must always optimize our time to become the “best version of ourselves.”

The fact is that this obsession with productivity even extends to personal relationships. How many times have you felt pressured to be “efficient” in your social interactions, trying to stick to a packed schedule of commitments or measuring the quality of your social life by the number of events or gatherings you attend? The search for “productive” interactions, that result in something useful, often diverts attention from what truly matters in relationships: genuine connection, the pleasure of companionship, without the need to validate or measure everything we do.

In many cases, this same pattern also affects the time we dedicate to family. Parents and children, for example, may feel guilty for not doing enough during their time together. Family activities can become a space of forced productivity, where every moment must be filled with something educational or developmental, instead of simply enjoying each other’s company. This creates an imbalance that harms not only the quality time but also the emotional health of everyone involved.

What Have We Learned So Far?

“What we know is a drop, what we don’t know is an ocean.” — Isaac Newton

What we’ve learned, often painfully, is that the real problem isn’t the absence of work or activity, but the false notion of productivity that was imposed on us. During the pandemic, we were led to believe that every moment of “inactivity” was a sign of failure, which created a spiral of anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and disconnection. Our brains, forced to operate in a state of constant alert, lost the ability to recognize our most basic emotional needs — such as rest and reflection. However, if we look more closely, what this period taught us is that true productivity shouldn’t be measured by the number of tasks we complete, but by the quality of the time we dedicate to ourselves, to our well-being, and to our emotional recovery.

The confinement gave us the opportunity to reflect on the devastating effects of the productivity culture that had been imposed, which until then seemed to be the only parameter for success. The consequences of this relentless pursuit of “productive occupation,” from chronic anxiety to emotional burnout, disengagement, and frustration due to lack of purpose, are more evident than ever. The pressure to always be busy, to always do something, is a problem that we can no longer ignore.

The Overlap of Productivity in Relationships and Leisure

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” — George Carlin

The overload of productivity is not limited to social interactions or work. Even leisure is affected by this culture. Many people find themselves constantly trying to maximize every minute, even during their moments of rest. “Doing nothing” has become almost an alien concept, viewed with guilt and as a synonym for failure, or wasting time. In this scenario, rest is no longer seen as a need but as something to be earned, with metrics and goals. The idea that leisure must be “useful” prevents us from truly enjoying the disconnection and emotional recovery we need.

Don’t be fooled! With the rise of remote work, the line between personal and professional life has become even more blurred. While telecommuting has brought flexibility to many, it has also brought new emotional and behavioral challenges: prolonged loneliness, constant distractions, and the feeling of underachievement. The difficulty in establishing clear boundaries between work and rest intensified the pressure to always be “available.” This reflects a productivity model that ignores the most basic human needs, creating a cycle that disconnects us from what really matters.

The Influence of Social Media on Productivity

This logic of incessant productivity and consumption was further intensified during the confinement. Social media platforms were flooded with productivity challenges: online courses, series marathons, new hobbies, and a constant pressure to stay busy. Instead of promoting true connection, these platforms became a field of continuous stimuli, hindering our ability to focus on what truly matters for our well-being. A Comscore study showed a 55% increase in information consumption through social media during confinement, illustrating how this digital environment, which initially seemed to be a way for us to connect, transformed into a sensory overload. Instead of allowing us a break, it reinforced the idea that we cannot stop, that we must always be in motion.

The Real Need for Breaks and Reflection

“True freedom is the freedom to do nothing.”
— Jean-Paul Sartre

We live in a society that, for decades, has imposed the idea that we must always be active. The pressure to be constantly busy leads us to confuse “doing nothing” with unproductive inactivity. However, moments of pause—such as watching a series, reading a book, or simply contemplating the landscape—are essential for our emotional and physical balance. It is in these moments that our mind has the opportunity to restore itself, process what we have experienced, and prepare for the upcoming challenges.

In the constant pursuit of more productivity, we forget that our mental health is not nourished only by what we do, but also by what we refrain from doing. By allowing ourselves to be in the “doing nothing,” we give ourselves the necessary space to recharge our energy, creating a cycle of renewal that is crucial for our long-term well-being. This paradox—where inactivity becomes a recovery engine—reveals one of the great lessons of the post-pandemic period: true rest is not synonymous with wasting time but with investing in what really matters.

Neuroscience has shown us that mental rest and disconnection are crucial for the processing and consolidation of information. Studies indicate that cognitive activity decreases when the brain is constantly bombarded with external stimuli, and it is precisely during rest that the brain reorganizes and processes these pieces of information. What we realize then is that productivity is not defined only by what we do but also by what we manage to internalize and reflect upon. Moments of pause are often fundamental for creativity and mental balance.

That’s why I always advocate for the need to redefine productivity, which is often imposed by a capitalist discourse that equates a person’s value with their ability to produce results. In this model, our productivity becomes a direct reflection of the value we believe we have, and, as a result, we are led to measure our worth by the number of tasks completed, ignoring fundamental aspects of our well-being. This vicious cycle, of lack of balance between personal and professional life, was intensified during the pandemic, and it still persists today. However, the impact of this pressure is particularly destructive for many women, who, in addition to dealing with the challenge of productivity in the workplace, are often overwhelmed by the expectation of being perfect in all areas of life—whether as professionals, mothers, wives, or caregivers.

Redefining Productivity in the New Scenario

We urgently need to redefine productivity. The capitalist vision that links it to personal value is deeply rooted, and the feeling that our existence must be validated by the number of tasks completed has devastating effects. During the pandemic, this pressure was intensified, and women, in particular, were much more overwhelmed by the expectation to be perfect in all areas of life—at work, at home, and in personal relationships. This generated a cognitive-behavioral imbalance that is reflected in many of my consultations, like the case of a psychologist who spent the lockdown alone and constantly felt guilty for not being able to do more than study, work, and exercise. “Now, I see that I did the best I could given the circumstances,” she shared.

This report is common and reveals the cycle of guilt and dissatisfaction with what we manage to achieve. The feeling that we must always be busy, validating our existence through constant productivity, is a structural issue of post-modernity. We are trapped in a model that demands more than we can give, ignoring our basic needs for rest and reflection.

The Opportunity for Transformation in the Post-Pandemic Scenario

Now, with the rise of remote work and the new post-pandemic scenario, we have the opportunity to profoundly transform the way we view productivity. How can we apply the lessons from the pandemic to create a new scenario where mental health and emotional balance are prioritized? How can we redefine productivity, recognizing that value is not in the number of hours worked, but in the positive impact we generate in our lives and in the lives of others? True productivity is not about doing more, but about doing what really matters for our well-being and the balance between personal and professional life.

This incessant search for connection and constant activity comes at an emotional cost. It is no coincidence that many feel that by not participating in everything happening on social media, they are missing something important. Emotional loneliness and mental exhaustion are just two reflections of this disconnection from our own needs, which are often subordinated to the desire to please others or to remain visible. What we need to understand is that true connection, both with others and with ourselves, goes through respecting our limits and understanding that not everything needs to be produced or shared publicly to have value.

Redefining Productivity

What can we learn from this period? First and foremost, it is crucial that we respect our limitations and take care of our mental health above all. The pressure to be productive all the time is not only unrealistic but also harmful. Constantly being active only reinforces a distorted view of productivity, which is, in reality, dehumanized and alienated, far removed from our deepest needs.

As we face new realities, such as telecommuting in many sectors, it is important to reflect on what truly matters. The lockdown taught us that productivity should not be the only measure of value. Sometimes, the simple act of doing “nothing” is, in fact, what we need most to preserve our mental health.

The Value of “Doing Nothing”

For the future, we need to look at challenges from a new perspective. Productivity must be balanced with moments of rest, reflection, and self-care. At the same time, we must understand that not all of our efforts to change behaviors or adopt new practices need to be grand or public. Often, it is small adjustments, made over time, that create a lasting positive impact on our quality of life.

The question we should ask ourselves now, after all we’ve been through, is: how can we apply these lessons in a healthy way, creating a balance between external demands and our internal needs, respecting our limits, and valuing our well-being? And, more importantly, how can we bring this new understanding to organizations, creating work environments that promote not only productivity but also emotional health and personal growth?

The lockdown, by forcing us to review our daily activities, also gave us a unique opportunity to reflect on how the relentless pursuit of productivity affects areas beyond work. This culture impacts our mental health, our connection with others, and even the way we relate to time. However, the real problem does not lie in the absence of activities, but in the distortion of the idea of productivity.

What is, in fact, “productive”? True productivity is not in the number of tasks completed, but in the quality of the time we dedicate to our well-being, rest, and personal relationships. When we learn to respect our limits and understand that rest is an investment, we begin to cultivate a more balanced and healthy life.

Let’s, together, reflect and build a new normal—more balanced, more human, and more conscious of our deepest needs.

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