Productivity Guilt

Do you have it?

I spent 6 hours painting for myself this weekend. It’s technically gift art for one of my D&D players, but i thought the scene she was in was particularly cinematic, so i drew it. I’m in the throes of painting it now, and will post it when it’s done.

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I DID work on Lighteater’s Tarot Art Book; just a little work this past week, and I am absolutely the hardest on myself when i don’t make as much progress as i would have liked. Yes, I suffer from Productivity Guilt.

Do you have it too? I’m gonna talk about it a little bit, and you tell me what you think.

“What exactly is Productivity Guilt?” I hear you say. Do you think you should be doing more? Do you believe that your worth is equal to your output? Do you have anxiety regarding falling behind and thus being judged? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you suffer from Productivity Guilt.

1. Rest feels uncomfortable instead of restorative. You feel off work, but your brain keeps nudging things like, “You should be working,” or “You’re wasting time.” This is one of the clearest signals. Rest doesn’t land: It feels like avoidance.

2. You finish something, and instead of satisfaction, you immediately think of the next project or task, and/or you downplay what it was you accomplished. Celebrate your wins! If you say that you ‘only’ wrote 2 pages, maybe say “I wrote today.”

3. Your worth feels tied to output. Subtle but powerful: A productive day may feel okay, but on an unproductive day, you may feel feel as though you are failing. That equation is the engine of productivity guilt.

4. You can’t enjoy leisure without “earning it”. You might catch yourself delaying breaks until you hit a milestone, or until you “deserve” them. Also, bathroom breaks, showers and food are all things that are NECESSARY, not REWARDS. Maybe you multitask relaxation; like watching a television while working. You might feel guilt, even when you’re doing a hobby you love. Welcome to Productivity Guilt Land.

5. You overestimate what counts as productive. Only certain things qualify; big wins, visible results, or monetizable output. Meanwhile, you dismiss three things.

   1. Planning. This is a 2 edged sword. Perhaps you’re avoiding work by staying in the planning stage. On the other hand, you’re not giving yourself time to plan your next steps, or perhaps entertain a Shiny New Idea (TM) at a lately date.

   2. Thinking. I don’t take my phone with me with I step outside for a clove cigarette, most especially when i’m fast drafting. This is valuable thinky time. It is the most valuable when i’ve hit a snag in the writing.

   3. Creative Incubation. This is huge as an creative. Take an hour or two to germinate new ideas; to break writer’s block, to continue storylines that will become a series.

6. You compare your behind-the-scenes to others’ highlights. This is often amplified by platforms like Instagram or TikTok. You see other people posting finished work, or their launches, or their consistency. You don’t see the burnout, the drafts, the false starts.

7. You feel a low-level, constant “pressure hum”. Even when nothing urgent is happening, there’s a background sense of “I’m forgetting something”, or "I should be doing more right now.” That’s Productivity Guilt running in the background.

For someone creative, the conditions are perfect for it:

Perhaps there is no clear “done” point.

Maybe your work and your identity overlap.

What if there are long gaps between effort and visible payoff?

Lastly, when you have a self-directed schedule, which often means no clock out time. If there is no external stop signal, that is a sure fire way to get to burnout.

The combination of all of the above practically breeds productivity guilt.

There is a difference between discipline and productivity guilt. Discipline says “I have a plan, and i’m following it.” Whereas “Whatever i’m doing isn’t enough,” is a sign you’re in productivity guilt.

When was the last time your rested, and didn’t feel like you were getting away with something? Pay attention to your next moment of rest. Don’t change it, don’t optimize it: just notice what thoughts show up, and ask yourself: Are they actually true, or just familiar?