logo
episode-header-image
May 2022
47m 24s

239. How Productivity Culture Burns You ...

KARA LOEWENTHEIL
About this episode

It would be nice to think we can leave capitalism at the office when we go home for the day. But the truth is, its reach goes far beyond just the way we make, sell, and buy stuff. It can affect the ways we place value on the actual human beings who do the work, which in turn can lead to burnout, hustle culture, and even ableism. 

In this episode I’m joined by two of my Advanced Certification in Feminist Coaching Students, Tina Koch and Rachèle Summers, as we discuss the tricky triad of internalized ableism, productivity culture, and capitalism.

Listen in to learn how you can begin changing productivity-related tendencies by examining the ‘shoulds’ in your life, how the first step in changing your internalized ableism is to approach your thoughts around it with compassion, and how you can begin pushing back on hustle culture and build emotional resilience by learning to sit with cognitive dissonance.

 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://unfuckyourbrain.com/239

Up next
Oct 29
540. The Thought Ladder and Thinking v. Believing (Classics)
You can’t just think a new thought and expect your brain to believe it. If you’ve ever tried telling yourself you’re worthy, confident, or beautiful, only to have your brain immediately argue with you, you know what I’m talking about. In this Classics episode, I’m revisiting one ... Show More
18m 55s
Oct 27
539. Coaching Hotline: Letting Go Of Hurt When Someone Skips Your Wedding
Your maid of honor didn't come to your wedding, and you're still hurt about it. How do you move on when someone you care about misses an event that was supposed to be so important? In this Coaching Hotline episode, I answer a listener's question about lingering hurt and why we ca ... Show More
3m 53s
Oct 22
538. When Do You Choose to be Angry?
Women are taught that anger makes us difficult, irrational, or unlikeable, while men’s anger is often treated as justified or even heroic. So what happens when you learn to suppress your anger, even when something genuinely matters to you? In this episode, I share a coaching stor ... Show More
11m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2025
Burnout
What makes burnout different from exhaustion or fatigue? In episode 136 of Overthink, Ellie and David look at the history of the term burnout and its surprising connection to social justice. They also explore Byung-Chul Han’s reading of burnout as a natural consequence of “achiev ... Show More
59m 38s
Mar 2022
Productivity
We’re always worried about being productive enough with our time, but where does this compulsion come from? In episode 48, Ellie and David examine productivity culture and the drive to produce. Although research says longer hours don’t equal more productivity, capitalism encourag ... Show More
49m 43s
Oct 2023
How to Be a Better Human: How to stop finding your self-worth through your job (w/ Gloria Chan Packer)
For some of us, it's easy to lose ourselves in our work. But a lack of boundaries between your personal and work life is something mental wellness educator Gloria Chan Packer would warn you twice about. Gloria speaks about the perils of gaining your sense of self-worth from your ... Show More
34m 9s
Aug 2021
burn out: for personal reasons we will be running away-
<p>overwhelmed and burnt out? same. join your wholesome and exhausted faves (sephy &amp; wing) for this extra relevant episode of Goes Without Saying. from the ongoing battle between anxious productivity and crippling depression, to how we can ~actually~ allow ourselves to rest, ... Show More
58m 21s
Jul 2025
281: 5 “Productivity Habits” That Actually Cause Burnout
<p>Okay, Hustle Sanely Squad, hear me out — what if the productivity habits you <em>*think*</em> are helping you… are actually burning you out? 👀</p><p>In this episode, we’re unpacking 5 common habits that feel productive but are leaving you overwhelmed, distracted, and stuck in ... Show More
19m 33s
Aug 2022
when productivity becomes toxic
EP12 - wow, have i been on a journey with productivity. we are so easily led to believe that productivity means being constantly busy and using every single minute of our day to the fullest extent, but that can be so toxic and send us on a one way trip to burnout. in this episode ... Show More
43m 41s
May 2025
Escape the Dream Job Trap | Simone Stolzoff
In this eye-opening conversation, we sit down with Simone Stolzoff, author of The Good Enough Job, to explore why modern work culture traps so many of us in cycles of burnout, identity crises, and unrealistic ambition. Drawing on research and personal experience, Simone challenge ... Show More
1h 6m
Feb 2023
#MoreThanWork
Academia has a way to make us feel ashamed if we're not thinking about the work 24/7. In this episode we talk to Dr. Genevieve Fuji Johnson and Dr. Harshita Yalamarty about how we are #MoreThanWork, and how our passions, like boxing, or surfing, or Dungeons and Dragons are more t ... Show More
43m 12s
Oct 2024
The Power of Feeling: Emotional Mastery in a Hustle Culture with Karenna Soto
In this episode, Karenna Soto and I dive even deeper into the complexities of balancing hustle culture with emotional mastery. We explore how the rise of "boss babe" culture led to burnout, and how to find harmony between ambition and well-being. Karina shares her experiences wit ... Show More
32m 4s