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Toxic Productivity or High-Functioning Depression? 4 Signs to Watch For
With the abundance of social media posts about completing DIY projects, starting new hobbies, or learning new recipes during COVID-19, many of us are facing pressure to use the extra time on our hands to be productive. With unemployment stemming from the COVID-19 crisis, many people feel the need to be model employees despite unprecedented stress and change.
Excessive expectations of productivity can have negative outcomes for mental health, whether we’re pushing ourselves to work longer or feeling like we can’t use free time to relax. Such behavior, known as toxic productivity, can be a sign that you’re struggling with high-functioning depression by masking your feelings of sadness, decreased energy, guilt, or low self-worth by putting all your energy into your job or goal oriented tasks. Here are four signs of toxic productivity to watch out for.
1. You work to avoid your problems
Hard work is often seen as a virtue—but it’s also a way to avoid tackling problems in our personal lives or addressing feelings we’d rather not face by spending free time working. Work can come with short-term achievable goals with clear and predictable rewards for accomplishments. Interpersonal relationships and self-care are less well scripted and don’t always have the same positive reinforcement patterns. For some, the familiarity of work can help hide concerns with other areas of life, especially if they are less predictable and often outside your scope of control.
2. You're always "on"
A common sign of toxic productivity is when you always seem to be focused on work, whether you’re constantly checking your email during time with friends or answering non-urgent communications late into the night during off hours. Especially during the pandemic, it can be easy to want to prove yourself as a model employee, but blurring the lines between work and your downtime can lead to burnout .
3. Your sense of worth is based only on your work
Our sense of worth comes from many different aspects of our lives: our relationships, our interests, our talents and hobbies—our careers are only one part of our lives. If you find yourself measuring your worth through your work, it could be a sign of toxic productivity. During a time of uncertainty, it can be easy to think excelling at work needs to be the focus. But it is also crucial to take time to cultivate other passions and hobbies that can promote better life balance.
4. You're neglecting other areas of your life
Work isn’t everything. Our family and friends should continue to be important aspects in our lives, especially as we continue to navigate COVID-19. The pressure to perform at work can be especially high right now, considering the uncertainty of the world and job security. But it is also critical that we don’t neglect the people we care about. Not only can spending quality time with the important people in our lives strengthen our relationships, but it also allows us to take a break for the non-stop grind of work.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the course of our lives in many ways. Even with the urge to prove to yourself and others that you are using this time to be productive, especially as it relates to work, it’s important to recognize why you might be putting all your energy towards your job. If you find yourself concealing your feeling of sadness and uncertainty with work, it’s time to talk to a professional who can guide you towards a solution for improving your mental health.
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Starting any medical treatment for the first time can leave you with questions, especially if you’re looking forward to the benefits it may bring. It’s no different when you’re preparing for your nasal esketamine treatment. Your previous mental health treatments may have consisted solely of taking antidepressants at home or visiting a therapist’s office for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), so nasal esketamine is probably a new treatment experience for you. If you're wondering what it's like to start nasal esketamine and get ready for your first session, keep reading. Getting Started with the Nasal Esketamine Treatment As with any new treatment, you’ll first talk to your primary care provider or psychiatrist about whether nasal esketamine is a good fit for you. Alternatively, you can schedule your esketamine nasal spray consultation with a treatment center (such as Greenbrook) that has certification by the FDA’s Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). At Greenbrook's REMS-certified nasal esketamine treatment centers, our Greenbrook-affiliated psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners will review your medical history and also conduct our own assessment to help determine whether nasal esketamine treatment is right for you. Certain conditions, including blood vessel disease and a history of psychosis, may make treatment a risk for you. Make sure you discuss all previous and present conditions with your doctor or nasal esketamine provider before beginning treatment. If the medication is deemed a good fit, you’ll receive your prescription from the Greenbrook-affiliated provider. Your Greenbrook Care Team will put together a personalized care plan for the weeks and months to follow. Keep in mind that you will need to take a standard (oral) antidepressant along with your nasal esketamine treatment. There are two important regulations to note when it comes to preparing for treatment: Each treatment is followed by a mandatory two-hour observation period. This means you will need to plan to stay at the center for at least two hours following your self-administration of the esketamine nasal spray. You cannot drive during the rest of the day after treatment and must arrange for transportation. These regulations are mandatory. It may be helpful to sit down and plan out several weeks’ worth of transportation once you know your treatment schedule. In addition, if you’re wondering what to bring for the treatment, we recommend entertainment such as an audiobook or playlist of favorite songs and a pair of headphones. You may want them during the two-hour observation period. What to Expect During Nasal Esketamine Treatment On the day of treatment, you’ll need to stop eating any food two hours before your appointment and stop drinking all fluids 30 minutes before you come in. Your Greenbrook Care Team will confirm that you are prepared for the two-hour observation period and that you have a ride home. You’ll get the opportunity to practice using a “trainer sprayer” that mimics the real nasal esketamine sprayer but does not release any medication. The Care Team will encourage you to use the restroom and set up your preferred environment in your private treatment bay or room. Some patients like reduced lighting, for example, while others don’t request light adjustments. You’ll complete a depression scale before each treatment session. Your Greenbrook provider will confirm that the dose kit is yours, show you how to administer it, and then hand it to you. Each sprayer contained 28mg of Spravato esketamine nasal spray. Patients usually start with two sprayers (56mg) and soon increase to 84mg (three sprayers) per treatment. But, your dosage maybe vary. Should you be left with a metallic taste by the spray, the Care Team will offer suckers to help make the flavor dissipate. After your dose, you’ll be encouraged to lie back in your comfortable recliner. While most patients enjoy a quiet setting, Greenbrook is prepared to accommodate patients with a more animated reaction to the medication. You may feel sleepy, dizzy, mildly dissociated, and/or nauseated during treatment. Greenbrook's Care Team is readily available if you need assistance. How to Prepare for after your Nasal Esketamine Treatment Most side effects begin to wane in the second hour of observation, but if you’re wondering, “Is it safe to drive immediately after nasal esketamine treatment?” the answer is a resounding no. In addition to the mandatory ride home, you will need to block off time to rest and let side effects fully dissipate. This extended rest period is especially important in the first weeks of treatment when you’ll have treatment twice a week. Do not drive or operate machinery of any kind until the day after treatment. Just take it easy, relax, and take care of yourself. If you’re unsure what activities you can do or should avoid during this time, talk to your Care Team for more information. While side effects tend to dissipate completely after a good night’s sleep, many nasal esketamine patients begin feeling relief from depression symptoms within hours of their treatment. Other Tips in Preparing for Your Nasal Esketamine Treatment At Greenbrook, we make every effort to schedule your treatment in the afternoons or whenever it is most convenient for you. We encourage you to see each treatment session as an opportunity to relax and take care of your mental health. If you have any questions or concerns, talk to your doctor or the Greenbrook Care Team. At Greenbrook, we’ll help you feel at ease when preparing for each treatment session. Schedule A Free Consultation To get started with nasal esketamine, schedule your free consultation today.
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