1. Productivity

Top 3 Mental Barriers to Effective Work Performance

Do you want the handbook that breaks down the 3 most common mental barriers to effective work performance? Today’s post is slightly different from what I’d usually cover. Productivity is crucial to achieving our goals, but it’s all easier said than done when you have a psychological deterrent that’s holding you back. Everyone deserves to benefit from productivity so it’s important to grab it with both hands and utilise it. Letting any syndrome get in the way will suppress your productivity and therefore limit your chances of success. This article will cover impostor syndrome, borderline personality disorder and PTSD. 

Impostor syndrome:

What it is

Impostor syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which someone feels insecure about their accomplishments and has a constant fear of looking stupid in front of everyone. These people find it extremely difficult to internalize their successes, due to feeling inadequate and having high expectations. So simply, they feel like a dime among pennies. There is more than one type of impostor syndrome, but despite the ongoing movement around black lives today, it’s worth considering that many people still fall victim to racial impostor syndrome.

How it impacts work performance

A lack of self-esteem and fear of failure prevent you from getting down to something because you are so deluded by the belief that no useful outcome will be produced. As a result, you feel guilty that nothing important was completed and the cycle of procrastination continues. Rather than trying to find possible solutions, you end up being defeated by this cycle of procrastination, forcing your fears into reality. 

The willpower and excitement that comes with doing a task is also non-existent, which is why you give all the credit to luck when you finally accomplish something. This reduces the chances of starting a similar task again, gradually lowering your productivity levels in the long-term. In effect, the effort that goes into starting something is wasted.

This impacts productivity not only during work hours, but also during free time. Not feeling pleased after completing any task, makes it difficult to have a passion, so even in your free time you don’t productively procrastinate.

What you can do

While there is no way to eradicate impostor syndrome, there are ways to live through it by simply changing small your habits.

  1. The world we live in today makes it so easy to see yourself as inferior to others. People think that when they see others living the life of their dreams, they are inevitably cool. The truth: they’re not. They also experience the same impostor syndrome, masked with their artificial exterior of happiness. Trying to separate feelings from reality is important, so you know that the story you tell yourself is not right. Acknowledge that the people you see on social media, who look like they are living the happiest lives, are not truly how they seem. 

But how do some manage to disguise that inner impostor syndrome? They have learnt to rebuild their self-confidence and still make vast achievements. Take Emma Watson, for example, one of the many who have suffered from impostor syndrome. Emma Watson had the fear of being exposed as a fraud and a constant let down by her feeling of inadequacy. Her impostor syndrome didn’t stop her; she has managed to tick off every goal from her bucket list from becoming UN Women Goodwill Ambassador to launching the campaign ‘HeforShe’.

  2.  Many people wrongly fear that asking for advice will expose their impostor feelings. This only provides another chance for impostor syndrome to kick in. Rather, it is best to acknowledge these feelings and allow yourself to move forward as a new person, regardless of how you are.

Start putting yourself in environments where there is great opportunity for mentorship and support. This can be provided by anyone you know and trust, who can boost your accomplishments and aid your decisions along the way. Many people give less value to their ideas, compared to feedback from others. So, though mentorship is vital, not to a high extent. Learn to trust yourself too. Once you learn to let yourself free, you’ll stop being so self-absorbed and learn to accept feedback on your achievements and failures.

  3. The most effective thing to do is to break down major goals into small steps and reward yourself after each step has been completed. It’s important to give yourself the same amount of praise and satisfaction with small things as with bigger ones. Soon, you’ll start to realise that you’re worth much more value at work.

A similar message is displayed in the book ‘Atomic Habits’

“Success is the product of daily habits – not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.”

These small habits are like trace minerals that you take in consistently and overtime they speed up your self-improvement. ‘You get what you repeat.’ Sure it may not seem so obvious at first, but when the resulting structure comes into place, you’ll see the benefits of getting 1% better every day. 

  4. What you’ve heard doesn’t have to be true. Many people walk through life cognitively blinded, because they accept the usual thoughts connected to their identity. When you have told yourself the same story for years, it can easily be hardwired into your brain. While still being affected by impostor syndrome, you won’t see it as much of a challenge anymore.

Borderline Personality Disorder:

What it is

This is the most common personality disorder. It’s a disorder affecting mood, making people fluctuate between periods of elation and depression. These behavioural changes can lead to a problematic life overall, affecting relationships and the way you think and feel about yourself.

How it impacts work performance

Research carried out in 1995 concluded that ‘people with borderline personality disorder procrastinate more than just about every group of people with mental illness’. A more recent piece of evidence from 2013 showed that ‘beyond the obvious emotional instability, work-related problems in borderlines include a lack of satisfaction with work, perfectionism and procrastination associated with avoidance’.

BPD has a strong link with procrastination, mainly because the willingness to start something isn’t there most of the time. Feelings of apathy are driven by the thought “why bother?” This makes a task seem meaningless both before and after no matter how important it was. For example, finally doing something important that has been delayed for 2 weeks, won’t give them a sense of accomplishment. Due to this, the process of doing the task seems mundane and slow, because both the input (willingness to do it) and output (reward) are absent.

What you can do

  1. Although perfectionism can be a good thing, it can also slow you down big time. Teach yourself to accept things that are “OK”. After all, not everything is perfect. This won’t drain out all your energy and focus, maintaining high performance levels.

  2. Having fear of judgement or failure can put you in a dangerous spot where you’re more likely to be targeted by procrastination. Procrastination is caused by the avoidance of a task, which can go on for as long as you choose not to go near it. By increasing your confidence and constantly reminding yourself “you CAN do this”, your personality disorder will start to sink into oblivion.

  3. This simple strategy can help overcome everyday procrastination, but it all starts with you. Start doing a task even if you don’t feel like doing it. I know it’s easier said than done, so observe when throughout the day your productivity is high. For example, if you usually feel like getting more work done in the morning, start going through your to-do list at that time (after you’ve had your breakfast of course). Then, do a rewarding task afterwards. By looking forward to that reward, it will help you jump-start the task that needs to be done, leaving out any chances for procrastination.

This is especially crucial if you find it difficult to eliminate that fear of starting; by choosing not to let it control you, it won’t even be a thing anymore. 

  4. So you know those imaginary strings that you need to pull you over to a task? Commonly referred to as motivation, right? Well, motivation is a myth. Let discipline take its place and you’ll see yourself as more worthy for starting the task without any source of support except your inner soul. Be mindful of what you choose to do. What will it cost you if you choose to postpone the task? Visualise what you’ll rather be doing and the long-term consequences of it.

Also, notice external factors that stop you from carrying on with the task. If it’s looking at Instagram first thing in the morning, try removing it from the home page of your phone or putting your phone out of sight. If it’s the people gossiping around you, try moving to a quiet area. That way you have more control over your time and a more productive approach to how you work.high productivity levels.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD):

What it is

PTSD is a mental barrier that comes from a traumatic experience. For example, this could be witnessing a car crash or being assaulted. It is often seen as something experienced by soldiers, police or firefighters, but anyone can experience this, even children. Depending on vulnerability, it can last from a short time to months or years. Such a traumatic experience can lead to anxiety, depression, panic and guilt, resulting in insecurities around people.

How it impacts work performance

With memories of the traumatic event and other complications constantly on your mind, it’s difficult to dedicate time to anything else; this damages productivity levels. Spending energy to create something out of nothing is hard. Even when trying to work, PTSD can affect brain function, increasing stress levels. Productivity is affected by procrastination AND mental health. So this, in turn, has an impact on the ability to concentrate and produce high-quality work

What you can do

  1. Now, I have to place an emphasis on the power of small, consistent efforts. These are the much-needed vitamins that allow you to take a break and handle the stress that comes with diving into a task. Let’s say I have a lengthy task on my list, but my stress levels peak at the thought of it. I would split it up into 5-15 minute chunks that I can do every day (feel free to make it longer if you can handle it). As the week goes by, I’ll see myself making progress and eventually coming near the end of my task. The reward: I’ll feel much better and won’t regret getting the job done.

  2. Time yourself! Sometimes, we feel the need to remind ourselves that these tasks are not as long as we think they are. Choose 10-15 minute tasks at first and if you feel you need to, put a stopwatch in front of you to track the time left. The task won’t feel like it will go on forever and can be done with more ease.

  3. It’s important not to put your mental health at risk. Remind yourself that you are just as worthy of success and happiness as anyone else. Try meditating, if it helps to relax the mind. Use apps like ‘Chill’ or ‘Headspace’. If apps aren’t your thing, write down positive affirmations and stick them up around your house.

Final words:

I hope this helps when it comes to tackling such mental barriers, not only with being productive but with everyday life. Now it’s down to you to bring out the productivity in your life!

“Productivity is less about what you do with your time. And more about how you run your mind” – Robin S. Sharma

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