Five Common Productivity Killers … And How To Beat Them!

As an accredited Clinical Nutritionist, Functional Medicine Practitioner, Coach, Trauma
Therapist & PhD Scholar, co-founder of multi-award-winning health practice Chris & Filly Functional Medicine, and author, Filipa Bellette, knows a thing or two about avoiding burnout and being your best self. In this exclusive article, she shares some insights from her latest book Ending Body Burnout, on five productivity killers. And what you can do to prevent them.

Signs that your productivity is a problem

Are you struggling to keep up with the demands of work? Do you feel like your brain just doesn’t function the way it used to? Or like you’re constantly feeling triggered and overwhelmed? Or you need a gazillion coffees to get you through the to-do list? Here are 5 signs your productivity is a problem and the deeper causes beneath them: 

1. Brain Fog. Brain fog is a very common symptom that can occur when you’re “burning the candle at both ends.” Chronic stress at work can cause neurotransmitters (such as adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin) to deplete, which can result in neurological issues such as brain fog, lack of concentration, reduced mental clarity, and forgetfulness – all issues that will put your productivity in the bin.
2. Fatigue. If you’re struggling to get out of bed in the morning, you want to nap at 3pm, or you could crash at 7pm, you’ve got energy issues. Fatigue is a common sign of burnout and will inevitably affect your productivity and ability to get work done. If you’re a busy career professional, your stress hormones are likely working in overdrive trying to keep up pace with your busy life. Chronic stress (even good stress) can cause your Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA-axis) to start acting dysfunctionally, which can result in a drop of stress (or ‘get-up-and-go’) hormones, which can cause fatigue.
3. Anxiety. Feeling anxious and worried all the time, can also affect your productivity. You might start second-guessing yourself, stop trying new things, or taking risks, due to feeling fear of the unknown. It can absolutely squash your ability to play and be creative, which is a big part of being productive. Depletion of both your neurotransmitters and your stress hormones due to chronic stress can ramp up feelings of anxiety and is a sign that you need help.
4. Pain. Are you constantly feeling achy? Struggling with a sore back? Tense, tight shoulders? Or maybe you’re suffering from headaches or migraines? Pain is your body screaming at you to stop – you’ve worked too hard, for too long. This stuff can really squash your work output.
5. Gut Issues. When you’ve been stuck in a state of burnout for too long, your gut can start playing up – bloating, heartburn, diarrhoea, constipation, food sensitivities. This is because your body gets stuck in a chronic state of fight-or-flight, which switches off your ability to digest food. What’s this got to do with productivity? A lot actually! There is so much research now that supports the gut-brain connection. When your gut is out-of-whack, it can affect your mood, energy levels, creativity, and yes, your productivity.

How to spark your productivity

So what can you do about this? As a Functional Medicine Practitioner, I have worked with over 2,500 busy, burned-out professionals who are stuck in the push-push-push of work, and struggling with physical and mental symptoms that are leaving them flat and unproductive. Here are some tips to get you back on your feet again:

• Test Not Guess. Firstly, cut to the chase and run some functional lab tests to see where your body systems, like your neurotransmitters, adrenals, microbiome and digestive organs, are at. Regular GPs or medical specialists don’t test these systems; only accredited functional medicine practitioners do.
• Rebalance Body Systems. Then, use therapeutic supplements to help rebalance and reset your body systems, based on lab results. For example, tyrosine is great for dopamine, vitamin B’s, C and magnesium support the adrenal glands, and digestive enzymes can support gut function.
• Ditch The Caffeine. I know, I know, you’re likely using coffee or energy drinks to get through work, but caffeine is a major stress on your adrenal glands, which can cause your system to decline further over time. Switch to a herbal tea like peppermint (which can also PEP you up without the adverse side-effects, and it will actually hydrate you).
• Inner Work. Get raw and honest with your working patterns. Are you burned-out because of your own doing? Are you saying yes too much, or do you lack boundaries, or are you trying to be “perfect”, or are you attaching your worth on what you can achieve? If so, you’ll require deeper reprogramming and rewiring of your unconscious mind and nervous system.

Famous last words on productivity killers

Finaly, as Henry Ford famously said: “Improved productivity means less human sweat, not more.” Being more productive doesn’t mean “doing more” or “working harder.” Productivity is actually less about what you do with your time, and more about how you run your mind – and how well your body is running. What next steps are you going to take to find your spark again?