Expanded productivity readings

November 8, 2021 12:36 PM

So I've been reading a lot of the three horseman of the productivity apocalypse: Cal Newport (Deep Work), Mark Manson (something something F-bomb) and James Clear (Atomic Habits). Although much of what they write is helpful, I've noticed that they are all white guys who often work from a behavorialist perspective. I'm looking for alternatives, reading about productivity and wellness from a more culturally and theoretically diverse range of writers, and was wondering who you might recommend.

I guess my goal is to be more productive and focused, or perhaps be more effective, or reduce my overall anxiety. Deal with burnout from a holistic perspective. I don't know.

posted by mecran01 to Work & Money (9 answers total)

Have you read Burnout from Emily and Amelia Nagoski yet?
posted by pinochiette at 12:45 PM on November 8, 2021 [10 favorites]

Another white man, but extremely thoughtful… is Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. The title comes from the average human lifespan, so as you can imagine, it’s a way more grounded approach that I think of frequently. I read way too much productivity stuff but this book really stuck with me.

And to counterbalance that, two nonbook, media suggestions from women, both white;
- Anne Helen Petersen’s newsletter, Culture Study, where she dissects the notion of productivity in various arenas and shows just how insidious it is
- Jocelyn K. Glei’s podcast, Hurry Slowly.
posted by estlin at 1:50 PM on November 8, 2021 [4 favorites]

Also, Anne Helen Petersen wrote a book about burnout soooo....I'd add that to the list on top of her newsletter. It's called Can't Even, and you can get the flavor of it from this article.

It's kind of a polemic against productivity, but I preferred Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price. You can read their seed article on the concept here if you want a taster before committing to the book.
posted by bowtiesarecool at 2:30 PM on November 8, 2021 [6 favorites]

Zen Habits by Leo Babauta (who is from Guam but now lives in California) has been a perennial favorite.
posted by spamandkimchi at 3:42 PM on November 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Christina Maslach's research
posted by mecran01 at 7:10 PM on November 8, 2021

Seconding Jenny Odell's How To Do Nothing.
Also Kathi Weeks' The Problem With Work: Marxism, Antiwork Politics, and Postwork Imaginaries .
posted by xueexueg at 8:33 PM on November 8, 2021 [2 favorites]

I would thoroughly recommend Hillary Rettig for a very compassionate take on time management/productivity - her website is essentially extracts from her book "Lifelong Activist" http://lifelongactivist.com/
posted by coffee_monster at 12:24 AM on November 9, 2021 [3 favorites]

It might be interesting to read some of adrienne maree brown's work. It is NOT about productivity, but it is about how to live a more meaningful and powerful life, both as an individual and within a community. I found her work has helped me think more intentionally about what is important to me and to center that in my life and relationships, which I personally think is what productivity literature is often about - not just how to do more, but how to figure out what's important to you and do it more intentionally, with other people.
posted by lunasol at 6:09 PM on November 9, 2021 [1 favorite]

Perhaps you’d like Brene Brown? She’s a social work researcher who talks about leadership and shame/vulnerability.
posted by reren at 8:55 PM on November 11, 2021