‘Productivitis’

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The inner compulsion to be remorselessly busy
To be constantly wanting to get things done
To be constantly wanting to be seen to be getting things done
To be constantly wanting to ‘make the most of every moment’
To feel the need to justify each day by the list of things done

Symptoms:
The patient can’t sit down, or
As soon as sat down, sees something else to do

Causes:
Sometimes a basic need to survive
More often, insecurity:
Relentlessly seeking perfection
A nagging belief of ‘I am not enough’

Often masked by expressions like:
‘That’s not right’ ‘It’s not good enough’
‘I must push on’ ‘I’ll feel better when it’s finished’
(True for each task, but the next ‘to do’ follows in seconds)

Sometimes the patient enters a deep victim mode:
‘Why am I the only one who…?’

Effects:
Can result in eventual burnout
Of the people around them
Of the planet (the constant activity requires constant draw upon resources)
Of the patient

Treatment:
The patient can only rescue themselves
This requires making them aware of their condition
This can result in explosions
The suggested approach is reassurance;
Love them for who they are
They may eventually get the message

If humans don’t intervene, the world often does
By striking the patient down in some way
So that they are incapacitated
And have plenty of time to think
The mechanism for this is unknown; it’s weird

From the forthcoming book 'A Handful of Seeds'

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