Toxic Productivity and the South Asian Struggle to Rest

In today’s world, it’s hard not to question the obsession with productivity.

It often feels like a house of cards, poised to collapse at any moment.

The pressure to always be achieving can become toxic, like a poison that seeps into every part of your life.

Toxic productivity is the relentless drive to stay busy and accomplish more, often at the expense of your health, mental well-being, and relationships.

It teaches you that your worth is directly tied to what you produce.

If you’re not constantly working, you’re somehow falling short.

This isn’t just a feature of modern capitalism. It’s a tool of control over your time, your energy, and even your sense of self.

The South Asian Struggle with Productivity

For South Asians, especially those in the diaspora, the pressure is even more intense.

Success becomes not just a personal goal but an obligation. It’s about proving yourself not only to your family but also to a society that may view you as an outsider.

There is an added weight to success because, in many cases, it is seen as a measure of your place in the world.

This struggle is further complicated by the clash between cultural values.

In the West, success is often defined by individual achievement, independence, and constant progress.

In many South Asian cultures, however, success is defined more collectively by honouring family, community, and the sacrifices of previous generations.

These conflicting ideals create a tension that many South Asians must navigate.

The pressure to succeed becomes a balancing act, trying to satisfy both personal ambition and cultural expectations.

The Cost of Constant Achievement

In the homes of many South Asians, there is no such thing as success for its own sake.

No—success is the tribute you pay to the ones who gave you life. It is a ledger, an account of sacrifice and struggle.

The dreams they had were never for themselves, but for you. Their struggle was never their own, it was for you. To falter is to stain the cloth of those sacrifices. To stop is to bring shame to their memory.

You are never just you. You are a living sacrifice on the altar of their hopes.

If you cease, if you rest, it is as though the ground beneath your feet begins to tremble, as though you are betraying not just your own existence, but the very essence of all that came before you.

As Sahaj Kaur Kohli, mental health advocate and author of But What Will People Say?, observes:

“We care so much about what others will think that we forget about those within our families and communities who might be suffering.”

The cost of this unrelenting pursuit of success is often seen in mental and emotional strain.

Many South Asians struggle with feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression.

Yet within many communities, mental health issues remain stigmatised. Admitting to emotional exhaustion or seeking help is often seen as a weakness, a failure to live up to the expectations placed upon you.

Breaking the Cycle

The cost of all this striving is measured in invisible currency.

It is felt in the moments when you sit alone, and the weight of everything presses down so heavily that it feels as though the earth itself might crack open.

You have made it, perhaps you have crossed the threshold of what others call success, but at what cost?

The challenge, then, is to redefine success. It should not be measured solely by career achievements or material accomplishments.

These things matter, yes, but they are not the full picture. Success is multifaceted. It includes emotional well-being, balance, personal fulfilment, and meaningful connection with others.

Achieving success in a way that aligns with your values and authentic self means stepping away from narrow, one-size-fits-all definitions and asking what truly brings you joy and peace.

It is essential to challenge the productivity-based definition of success that dominates today’s culture.

Success should be more than working harder and achieving more. It should mean living a life that feels balanced, meaningful, and true to who you are.

For South Asians, particularly in the diaspora, redefining success means rejecting the idea that your worth lies only in your accomplishments.

Instead, it can mean finding peace, cultivating emotional resilience, building meaningful relationships, and pursuing personal growth.

Practical Steps to Begin This Redefinition

Start the conversation at home. Talk openly about rest and mental health within your family.

Normalise therapy, emotional check-ins, and the idea that burnout is not a badge of honour.

Seek professional support. Finding a culturally competent therapist, especially one familiar with South Asian experiences, can be transformative.

Organisations like Taraki and Sangath are working to bridge that gap.

Reflect and reassess. Take time to re-evaluate your own definition of success. Ask yourself: What do I truly value? Who am I outside of my achievements?

Prioritise balance over burnout. Permit yourself to rest, to enjoy, to simply be. It’s not laziness, it’s self-preservation.

Toxic productivity thrives on silence, pressure, and unrealistic expectations.

But it can be challenged through awareness, open dialogue, and a commitment to redefine what success truly means.

For South Asians navigating cultural dualities, this journey is not always easy, but it is necessary.

By embracing rest, valuing emotional health, and celebrating success in all its forms, we can begin to reclaim our time, our worth, and our sense of self.