The psychoanalyst explains how to identify the signs of toxic productivity and adopt mental reprogramming techniques
The last stretch of the year rekindles a silent tension that runs through offices, startups and home offices: performance anxiety. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Brazil is the most anxious country in the Americas and the second in the world for cases of burnout, a syndrome associated with professional exhaustion. The situation reflects a culture of permanent demands, in which productivity is confused with personal value and the search for results turns into self-sabotage.
For Elainne Ourives, psychoanalyst and specialist in mental reprogramming, this logic of non-stop performance has become the main trigger of emotional imbalance at work. “People live in a state of constant alert. The brain goes into survival mode and this reduces the capacity for reasoning, empathy and concentration. This is what I call a hypervigilant mind, it is always ready to react, never to create”, he explains.
The data confirms the seriousness of the scenario. A survey conducted by Datafolha and Instituto Cactus (2024) shows that 72% of Brazilians feel emotionally overwhelmed and 63% have anxiety symptoms directly related to work. Another study conducted by Harvard Business Review found that 59% of professionals in leadership positions reported an increase in emotional exhaustion in the past year, proving that not even those in leadership positions are immune to toxic productivity.
Elena explains that the demand for high performance tends to masquerade as a virtue. “Excess productivity is socially validated. The person is praised for always being available, responding quickly and going beyond expectations. But, internally, it is falling apart. When rest begins to generate guilt, it is a sign that the limit has been crossed,” he warns.
Among the most common warning signs, the specialist cites difficulty sleeping even after work, irritability accompanied by the feeling of always being late, lack of pleasure in previously motivating tasks, muscle pain, tiredness and memory lapses and the constant need for approval. According to Elainne, these symptoms act as an alarm for the body to warn that the mind is exhausted. “Burnout doesn’t happen overnight, it’s the silent accumulation of small sacrifices,” he observes.
When the demand for high performance comes from leadership, the emotional impact tends to be even more profound. According to Elainne, the problem arises when the incentive to excel turns into the fear of failure. “Many leaders believe that pressure generates results, but what it actually produces is paralysis. The brain, under threat, goes into survival mode and loses the ability to create, decide and innovate,” he explains. For her, learning to recognize this difference is the first step to maintaining mental health and avoiding burnout.
The specialist recommends four central techniques of her quantum mind reprogramming method, which help reduce anxiety and restore concentration:
Conscious breathing — technique to slow down the brain rhythm and re-establish coherence between body and mind.
Reformulate beliefs — identification and replacement of automatic thoughts related to guilt, fear and perfectionism.
Vibrational reprogramming — use of sound frequencies and positive affirmations to neutralize patterns of scarcity and demand.
Guided mindset — intentional visualization of healthy results, without suffering or guilt.
“The professional must understand that there is no sustainable success in an environment of fear. True performance comes from the balance between dedication and self-care. The more coherent the emotional vibration, the greater the ability to act with concentration and authenticity,” he emphasizes.
Elainne argues that the end of 2025 should be seen as a time of emotional reevaluation and not just goals or achievements. “Finishing the year without getting sick is an act of emotional intelligence. 2026 will be the year to redefine success, and it’s not about doing more, but doing it with presence. A mind trained in balance produces with more clarity, creativity and pleasure”, he concludes.
Source: Terra

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.