The Numbing Effect of Productivity

Does this sound familiar?

When I attended my first silent retreat, I came prepared.

I brought a list of seven major life questions, a stack of books to provide wisdom, a fancy pen, and a journal to capture it all. I was ready to tackle the big issues and be productive.

What actually happened?

I spent most of the retreat sleeping.

I was avoiding the deep loneliness that surfaced in the quiet. I expected to find clarity and answers, but instead, I found myself upended by stillness.

Quiet was unfamiliar.
Quiet was awkward.
Quiet was scary.

In moments of uncertainty, we default to what’s comfortable.

If you're anything like me, the default is action. But as the old saying goes - growth comes from discomfort. For many of us, discomfort is to simply be.

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The Numbing Effect of Productivity

We recognize behaviors like overeating, mindless scrolling, and alcohol consumption as ways to avoid emotions. Yet, one of the most socially rewarded forms of avoidance is often overlooked:

**Productivity.**

Yes, I said it.

Our culture celebrates achievement and efficiency. It’s easy to use productivity as a shield against uncomfortable emotions. But what happens when our relentless drive to do more is actually a way to avoid feeling?

**Productivity is a socially acceptable addiction.**

Think about it.

We glorify being busy. We wear our overstuffed calendars as badges of honor. But behind this façade of accomplishment lies a stark truth: productivity can mask our emotions just as effectively as any other numbing behavior.

It’s time to call it out for what it is:

A way to hide from ourselves.

Because facing ourselves means confronting our deepest insecurities. It means acknowledging the parts of us that feel unworthy, unloved, and vulnerable. It's far easier to stay busy, to drown out the inner voice that whispers truths we don't want to hear.

Facing ourselves requires courage. It demands we sit with our pain. It challenges us to drop the façade and embrace our true selves - messy, flawed, and beautiful.

To lead a holistic life, we must recognize that life is about both being and doing.

Embracing our being enhances our capacity to do.

So here's the challenge:

- What feelings arise when you allow yourself to be still?

- How can you create moments of being in your daily life?

- When do you use productivity to avoid uncomfortable emotions?

Next time you find yourself diving into work to avoid feeling, pause.

Allow yourself to just breathe.

It's in these moments of being that we expand our capacity for meaningful doing.