Overworked & Burnt Out? 3 Steps to Break Free from the Toxic Productivity Trap

Rosie at Fizzy Ginger
Mar 27
3 min read

(✨More of an audio/visual guy or gal? Want to dive deeper into this topic and see how it can help you with your business? Check out the YouTube video here)

Are You Being Your Own Worst Boss?

We need to talk about the elephant in the room when it comes to running your own business.

Are you being the kind of boss to yourself that you’d never be to anyone else?

Let’s be honest.

When left to your own devices, do you:

A) Choose the kind, flexible, compassionate route—the one you’d offer someone else?

B) Skip breaks, pull unpaid overtime, and chain yourself to your laptop just to “get more done”?

Yeah… I thought so. Been there.

But this isn’t about shame. This is about awareness.

Because toxic productivity? It’s everywhere. And it’s sneaky.

What Is Toxic Productivity, Anyway?

Toxic productivity is that constant pressure to do more, be more, achieve more.

It’s the belief that your worth is tied to how much you can squeeze out of every day.

That being busy is something to be proud of.

That rest is lazy.

That success only comes to those who grind harder than everyone else.

But the truth?

That way of thinking leads straight to burnout—not business growth.

The Signs You’re Caught in the Trap

If you’re feeling like you’re never doing enough, or pushing through even when your brain and body are screaming for a break… you’re not alone.

I used to think staying up till 6 a.m. to finish a sales page was just “part of the job.”

Now? I see it for what it was: a giant red flag.

Because when toxic productivity takes over, everything becomes a hustle.

You stop enjoying your business. You overcomplicate everything. You confuse being busy with making progress.

Where This Narrative Comes From

It’s not your fault.

Most of us were trained into this mindset.

In school, we’re rewarded for overworking.

In corporate jobs, we’re praised for sending emails at midnight.

On social media, we’re bombarded with people glorifying 5 a.m. gym sessions and 16-hour workdays.

And we internalise it. We think that’s what we should be doing to be successful.

But it’s a lie.

What Helped Me Break Free

Here are 3 things that changed everything for me:

1. Awareness

I started paying attention to the invisible “shoulds” running the show.

Stuff like:

• I should be working right now.

• I should be further ahead.

• I should just push through.

Those thoughts? They’re not facts.

2. Simplification

I stripped my workload back to the essentials—the tasks that actually moved my business forward.

Not the things that felt productive, but the things that were.

3. Boundaries

My biggest shift? Moving to a non-negotiable four-day work week.

Yep. It was radical.

And honestly? Life-changing.

Why the Four-Day Week Changed Everything

When I moved to a four-day work week, I didn’t make less money.

In fact, I became way more strategic, focused, and clear.

And I finally had space to breathe, to rest, to enjoy my business again.

I became a better boss to myself.

A better partner.

A better business owner.

And now it’s my mission to help other small business owners do the same.

You Can Work Less—Without Losing Revenue

A four-day week isn’t just possible. It’s happening.

More and more freelancers, solopreneurs, and even entire countries are making the shift.

Why are we still working five (or six) days a week when there’s a better way?

If you’re ready to stop running yourself into the ground and finally build a business that supports your life (instead of the other way around), I’d love to show you how.