A medical student once confessed to me that if he’s not on the verge of a breakdown, he feels like he’s not working hard enough. A CEO told me that waiting to pick up her kids from school makes her feel panicky, like she’s wasting valuable time. A software engineer shared that they skip meals sometimes for fear of falling behind. As an instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and a therapist who treats anxiety and depression, I’ve encountered plenty of people who exhibit these and other signs of toxic productivity. What is toxic productivity? Productivity becomes toxic when…

At age 10, Jenny Woo got really good at reading nonverbal social cues. It was out of necessity: She emigrated from China to Houston, and didn’t speak English. She connected with her peers largely through what she now defines as emotional intelligence, or EQ — watching their body language and listening to the tones of their voices to learn what excited, inspired and angered them. In the decades that followed, Woo turned her EQ skills into a career at corporations like Deloitte and Cisco, training managers how to better communicate. She spent some time helping run her kids’ Montessori school…

Being the type of boss that people want to work for means you are less likely to have employees who quit, or who stay but aren’t engaged or productive. We write a lot about bad bosses. After all, a bad boss can ruin everything you might like about your job. But what about the good bosses? The people who support your career development, make you feel valued, are open to feedback, and who hold themselves accountable? Good bosses are out there; and chances are, if you’re reading this you might be a manager who (like me) hopes that the people…

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says Nigeria recorded N1.41 trillion trade deficit between October and December of 2023. On Friday, NBS made this known in its foreign trade report for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023. In the period under review, Nigeria’s exports totalled N12.69 trillion, and total imports N14.11 trillion — which gives a trade deficit of N1.41 trillion. A trade deficit is an economic indicator of a negative trade balance in which a nation’s imports outweigh its exports. “In the fourth quarter of 2023, Nigeria’s total trade was N26,801.95 billion. Exports were valued at N12,693.62 billion, while imports…