The Productivity Trap and Allostatic Load: How Our Beliefs About "Good Enough" Impact Our Health

In a culture that glorifies constant productivity, many of us feel the unspoken pressure to do more, achieve more, and be more. But at what cost?

One of the most overlooked consequences of never feeling "good enough" is its impact on our physical health, particularly through allostatic load—the cumulative wear and tear on the body caused by chronic stress.

What Is Allostatic Load?

Allostatic load is a physiological measure of how stress accumulates in the body over time. Stressors can be:

Psychological (self-doubt, perfectionism, social pressure)
Environmental (work demands, financial instability)
Physiological (lack of rest, poor nutrition, overtraining)

The body doesn't get a break when we constantly push ourselves to meet impossibly high standards. Instead of adapting in a way that promotes balance and recovery, it stays in a cycle of chronic activation, which can lead to long-term health consequences (Guidi et al., 2021).

One particularly insidious stressor? The productivity trap—the inability to accept what is good enough.

The Productivity Trap: When More Is Never Enough

Our culture has long associated worth with productivity. The French electronic duo Daft Punk captured this in their 2001 song Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger, where the refrain repeats like a mantra. More is better. More means you're valuable. More means you belong.

This belief doesn’t just apply to work and fitness—it seeps into how we relate to others and ourselves. People trapped in the productivity cycle often:

Feel like a burden if they aren’t constantly giving, serving, or helping others.
Believe asking for help = failure or incompetence.
Struggle with rest and relaxation because it feels unsafe or "lazy."

For many, this mindset begins in childhood. A person who grows up in an environment where love, safety, or approval was conditional on performance, achievement, or self-

sacrifice may internalize the belief:

💬 "If I don’t do enough, I am not enough." 💬 "If I ask for help, I am a burden."

This belief system becomes a survival strategy, influencing how a person moves through the world. By overachieving and never asking for help, they ensure they take up as little space as possible—making them desirable rather than inconvenient.

But this mentality doesn’t just burn people out—it also isolates them (Ogen et al., 2006).

The Cost of Always Doing More

The problem with the "never enough" mindset is two-fold:

It’s a moving target. The sense of accomplishment is short-lived, so the goalpost keeps moving.
It weakens connection. Community is built through reciprocity, but those who never ask for help deprive themselves and others of the opportunity to give and receive.

Negative physiologic outcomes. Allostatic load increases can lead to:

High blood pressure and hypertension
Immune dysfunction
Metabolic dysregulation
Mood disorders
Cognitive decline
Substance abuse
Sleep disorders
Emotional dysregulation

Yet, even when faced with these health consequences, many still struggle to accept "good enough." So, how do we break the cycle (Guidi et al., 2021)?

How to Break Free from the Productivity Trap

The goal isn’t to eliminate achievement—it’s to redefine success in a way that

supports growth and well-being.

1. Bring Awareness—Without Judgment

Your drive to overachieve likely served a purpose at some point in your life. Recognizing this without self-criticism is the first step toward change.

2. Identify the Root

When was the first time you felt you had to perform to be accepted, safe, or loved?
What did you need at that moment that you didn’t receive?
How has that belief shaped the way you move through the world today?

3. Play with Your Edge

Let things be 80% done. See what happens when you don’t strive for perfection.
Ask for small favors. Notice how it feels to receive help without guilt.
Track your nervous system’s response. Does slowing down feel uncomfortable? That discomfort is a sign of rewiring.

4. Choose Vulnerability

Even the highest achievers make mistakes, have fears, and need support. Practice sharing your worries, fears, and stressors with safe people.

5. Take Up Space

Give yourself permission to have needs and express them.
Offer patience and grace to others who are also learning that “good enough” is enough.

6. Incorporate Internal & External Resources

Try guided meditation. Silent meditation can be difficult for mentally busy people who are just getting started.
Practice coping techniques when the urge to be perfect shows up.
Engage in satisfying tasks. Aim for "meets minimum requirements" instead of overachieving in every area of life.

Final Thoughts: You Are Not a Machine

In a world where even the wellness journey has been industrialized into an endless to-do list, consider that sometimes less is more. The process of becoming is not a race or a competition. There is no single right supplement, movement, or process that works for everyone. Personal growth isn’t about doing more—it’s about being present with where you

are.

If you’re feeling the weight of “never enough,” take a breath. Where you are now is just as important as where you have been and where you will go.

References:

Guidi J, Lucente M, Sonino N, Fava GA. Allostatic Load and Its Impact on Health: A Systematic Review. Psychother Psychosom. 2021;90(1):11-27. doi: 10.1159/000510696. Epub 2020 Aug 14. PMID: 32799204.

Ogden, P., Minton, K., & Pain, C. (2006). Sensorimotor psychotherapy: Interventions for trauma and attachment. W. W. Norton & Company.