By Megan Nabozny
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Being in a busy environment like a college campus comes at a price. Everyone is constantly on the move or working rigorously on their pile of school work. It can be hard to not suffer from comparison while being surrounded by people who seem to be doing more than you.
Toxic productivity is when you overwork yourself mentally, physically and emotionally because you constantly feel the need to be doing things at all times. This can show up as taking on too much in your extracurricular activities or not taking time to hangout with friends because you decided to do more work instead. You can start to feel guilty for not doing work or you might never feel truly relaxed.
This can be a hard thing to combat. TikTok can be flooded with videos of people recording their busy days that appear to have no breaks. This representation is not a reflection of real life and what people go through day-to-day. Taking breaks even when you have a busy schedule is essential to keeping yourself mentally and physically healthy. One of the best ways to overcome toxic productivity is to put things into perspective and realize that balance is important. Keeping a balanced schedule of studying, socializing and relaxing will help you feel more fulfilled with your time.
Everyone is different. Some people need a schedule while others may be more easy going. Nonetheless, comparison is a dangerous thing when you feel like you’re not doing enough. Everyone is simply doing their best, and you are too.