Shows
The Courageous LifeOn Imperfectionism and the Art of Living Well | Oliver BurkemanWhat if the time is never coming when you’re ‘on top of things’, or finally feel like you know what you’re doing?For years, New York Times Bestselling author Oliver Burkeman has dared to ask provocative questions like these.The sort of questions that invite us to examine popular cultural views about what it means to work and live well.In his beautiful and brilliant books, his longtime column in the Guardian, and other writings,Oliver has been a leading voice helping to unravel myths about the often celebrated idea tha...2025-05-0853 min
Parenting Great Kids with Dr. Meg MeekerUnderstanding and Combating Toxic Productivity in Parenting with Israa NasirDo you feel like you're constantly running on empty trying to be the “perfect” parent? In this powerful episode of Parenting Great Kids, Dr. Meg Meeker sits down with Israa Nasir, licensed psychotherapist and author of Toxic Productivity: Reclaim Your Time and Emotional Energy in a World That Always Demands More, to unpack how the pressure to always “do more” is impacting parents and their children.
Israa shares how toxic productivity is driven by perfectionism, fear of inadequacy, and cultural expectations—and how it leads to chronic stress, emotional overwhelm, and strained family dynamics. Together, she and Dr. Meg ex...2025-05-0642 min
This Is Woman's Work with Nicole KalilPerfectionist Burnout with Dr. Tiffany Moon | 306Let’s be real: some of us aren’t just experiencing burnout—we’re perfecting it. Overachieving our way into exhaustion. Piling on responsibilities like it’s an Olympic sport. And believing that if we just get it right enough, peace and happiness will magically follow.
In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Tiffany Moon, a board-certified anesthesiologist, CEO, speaker, entrepreneur, wine and candle maker (yes, really), and reality TV alum—basically a walking resume of overachievement. But she’s also someone who knows what it feels like to chase perfection at the expense of joy—and how t...2025-05-0531 min
The Liz Moody PodcastThe REAL Reason You’re Burnt Out (And Exactly How To Fix It)Are you struggling with burnout? Is it even possible to not struggle with burnout in today’s world? I’m speaking with psychotherapist and author Israa Nasir about dealing with – and preventing – burnout. We’ll get into everything from building community to putting down your phone, and as always, leave you with actionable tips you can use now to improve your mental health.
2:16 Systemic Issues and Personal Agency
2:51 Tragic Optimism: Leveraging Difficult Circumstances
4:18 Practical Examples and Solutions
8:10 Cultural Differences and Burnout
10:14 The Role of Hobbies and Micro Habits
19:23 Balancing Productivity and Emotional Health
23:01 Perfectionism and Its Impact
...2025-04-091h 18The Courageous LifeOn Wholeness, Service, and Enduring Happiness | Stephanie Harrison"It’s not your fault if you are unhappy. You have been told three lies: You’re not good enough; You need to achieve fame, wealth, and power; You need to do it all on your own."These are the words of Stephanie Harrison - author, past Director of Learning at Thrive Global, and expert in the science of happiness.In her new book: New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That’s Got it Wrong She calls these three lies that emerged in her research,The Old Ha...2025-04-0353 minThis Is Woman's Work with Nicole KalilThe Wellness Disconnect with Patricia Grabarek, PhD & Katina Sawyer, PhD | 296Workplace wellness is broken. Free snacks, ping-pong tables, yoga-at-lunch—none of it actually works if your workplace culture is toxic or disconnected. So what does create a thriving, healthy work environment? According to today’s guests, it starts with leadership—and it’s a lot less about perks and a lot more about people.
We’re diving deep into the real future of workplace wellness with Dr. Patricia Grabarek and Dr. Katina Sawyer, co-founders of Workr Beeing and co-authors of the book Leading for Wellness: How to Create a Team Culture Where Everyone Thrives. These two powerh...2025-04-0234 min
The Impossible NetworkIsraa Nasir – Breaking Free From Toxic ProductivityTwo weeks ago at SXSW in Austin, I reconnected with previsous guest, Israa Nasir, therapist, clinical strategist, and author of "Toxic Productivity,” During our short conversation Israa explains the mindset that compels us to chase relentless achievement, often as a means to cope with challenging emotions such as guilt, shame, and feeling left behind.Israa shares her personal journey and why she wrote her book. She looks at how society's views on productivity impact our work, relationships, parenting, and self-image. We also discuss the emotional side of productivity advice. It is important to recognize our core values to...2025-03-3125 minThis Is Woman's Work with Nicole KalilThe Stress Paradox: Why We Need Stress (and How to Make It Work for Us) with Dr. Sharon Horesh Bergquist | 294Stress—it’s everywhere, unavoidable, and, if we’re being honest, usually the enemy. But what if we’ve been thinking about it all wrong? What if stress isn’t just something to manage but something we can leverage?
Today, we’re flipping the script on stress with Dr. Sharon Bergquist, an award-winning physician, researcher, and expert in lifestyle medicine, stress science, and longevity. She’s been featured on Good Morning America, CNN, NPR, and The Wall Street Journal, hosts The Whole Health Cure podcast, and has over 6 million views on her TED tal...2025-03-2635 minThe Courageous LifeOn Unwinding Toxic Productivity | Israa NasirWhat is it that drives our focus on productivity?That colors our experience of work, life, and relationships? Is the motivation to 'do', to achieve, and to push ourselves driven by a subtle undercurrent of fear?A craving to stay relevant, A whisper in the back of our mind that says: If we don’t optimize our lives, fill up our calendars, and stay busy, we will be missing out on something. Unsure of exactly what, but sensing that that something is important. Perhaps that if we d...2025-03-1355 min
UNTRAINEDUntraining from Toxic Productivity with Israa NasirIn this episode of The Untrained Podcast, we dive into a conversation that every high performer can likely relate to: Toxic Productivity. We sit down with Israa Nasir, psychotherapist and author of Toxic Productivity, to explore the pervasive mindset in which our self-worth becomes tethered to achievement. We examine the cultural, familial, and emotional roots of this mindset, the rewards and costs it carries, and the long-term impact on our well-being.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:The definition of toxic productivityCultural influences that shape our productivity mindsetThe emotional...2025-03-1345 min
Amina Change Your LifeEp 112: Why We Need to Redefine Productivity to Include Rest and Joy with Israa NasirToday, I'm joined by Israa Nasir, a New York City based psychotherapist, writer, and the founder of Well Guide, a digital community for mental health awareness. With a specific focus on mental health, identity formation, and healing for the AAPI first and second generation immigrant community, Israa has been featured in Time, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, NBC, Vox, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Vogue India, and other major publications. She brings a wealth of expertise and experience to our conversation, drawing from her work with corporations and institutions such as Google, Pepsi, Ernst and Young, Meta, and Yale University. 2025-03-1129 min
Mighty As A MotherE45: Breaking Free from Busy: Reclaim Your Time and Redefine Success with Israa NasirWe’re joined by Israa Nasir, the author of Toxic Productivity: Reclaim Your Time and Emotional Energy in a World That Always Demands More, a thought-provoking book that explores the intense pressure many women—especially mothers—feel to constantly be "doing." Israa is a writer, advocate, and thought leader dedicated to helping people understand how the drive for nonstop productivity can harm our mental health and well-being. In this episode, Israa shares powerful insights into what toxic productivity is, how it uniquely affects women and mothers, and, most importantly, how we can break free from this cycle to pri...2025-02-2545 min
Next Up: NarcissismEpisode 41: Toxic Productivity with Israa NasirToxic productivity convinces you that your worth is tied to achievement. But when does ambition turn into exhaustion?
Dr. Z sits down with psychotherapist and author Israa Nasir to talk about why so many people feel trapped in the endless pursuit of doing more. Israa explains how productivity has seeped into every part of life—relationships, self-worth, even rest—turning what should be fulfilling into something depleting. She breaks down how to recognize the signs of toxic productivity, why the inner critic fuels it, and what it takes to step off the hamster wheel without guilt...2025-02-0751 min
Toxic Free with KBThis Will CHANGE Your Perspective on HUSTLE CULTURE Forever! w/ Israa NasirIn this episode of Toxic Free with KB, I sit down with the amazing Israa Nasir, a psychotherapist based in New York City and the founder of WellGuide, a platform supporting mental health in the AAPI community!We discuss the impact of toxic productivity on our well-being, and how we often tie our self-worth to constant achievement. Israa offers real advice on how to set healthy boundaries, redefine what success looks like, and make space for rest and fun without feeling guilty! We also dive into the importance of slowing down, practicing self-compassion, and breaking free...2025-01-311h 18
Trust & Thrive268: Escaping Toxic Productivity & Burnout - with Israa Nasir, Psychotherapist & AuthorIsraa is a psychotherapist, speaker, and founder of the digital mental health brand WellGuide on Instagram. Israa creates meaningful and thoughtful experiences about our emotional wellbeing through therapy, workshops, engaging creative content, and speaking engagements. She has been featured as a mental health expert on Business Insider, NBC News and teenVogue, to name a few. Israa has been a licensed therapist for 10 years (in Ontario, Canada and now in New York State). She is certified for Cognitive Behavior Therapy at The Beck Institute and Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy at The Albert Ellis Institute. Israa is currently licensed a...2025-01-3028 min
I'd Rather Be ReadingIsraa Nasir on Toxic Productivity and How to Stop Using Productivity as a Barometer of Self-WorthToday I am thrilled to have on the show Israa Nasir to talk about her book Toxic Productivity: Reclaim Your Time and Emotional Energy in a World That Always Demands More, which came out November 19. Israa is a psychotherapist, speaker, and the founder of the mental health brand WellGuide, a digital community for mental health awareness. I love getting her WellGuide Substack, so make sure to subscribe to “The Well Guide” if you love this book and this conversation, which I know you will. Her work is centered on transforming the way we talk about mental health, taking it from...2025-01-2629 min
Success Story with Scott D. ClaryIsraa Nasir - Psychotherapist, Speaker & Entrepreneur | Reclaiming Your Time and Emotional Energy➡️ Start Here: https://stan.store/scottdclary ➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory ➡️ Join 321,000 people who read my free weekly newsletter: https://newsletter.scottdclary.comIsraa Nasir is a psychotherapist, speaker, and mental health advocate who founded WellGuide, a platform focused on making mental health education more accessible. With a Master's in Clinical and Counseling Psychology, she specializes in emotional intelligence, self-care, and life transitions. Her work has been featured in NBC, Vox, HuffPost, and Teen Vogue, and she has spoken at organizations including Google, Meta, and Yale Unive...2025-01-1852 minThis Is Woman's Work with Nicole KalilHow to Become Panic Proof with Dr. Nicole Cain | 269Feeling like anxiety and panic are running the show? You’re not alone. But here’s the thing—anxiety isn’t supposed to be part of what it means to be doing woman’s work. Yet, so many of us experience it that it feels like it’s become part of the job description.
In this episode, we’re flipping the narrative from “What’s wrong with me?” to “What is my body trying to tell me?”—because it’s time to panic less and live more.
Our guest, Dr. Nicole Cain, is a trailblazer in integrative mental and em...2025-01-0832 min
Behavioral Grooves PodcastToxic Productivity Is Sabotaging Your Success | Israa Nasir
What happens when the pursuit of productivity begins to harm your health, relationships, and happiness? In this episode, Israa Nasir joins us to discuss Toxic Productivity—the unhealthy obsession with achievement that can take a toll on your well-being. She outlines key warning signs, like disengagement and emotional dysregulation, and explores how societal pressures perpetuate this cycle. But it’s possible to break free. Israa shares practical strategies for reconnecting with your motivations, setting boundaries, and cultivating a healthier, more balanced relationship with productivity.
©2024 Behavioral Grooves
Want to win a free book? Write us a review...2024-12-161h 13
The Unmistakable Creative PodcastBest of 2024: Israa Nasir | Toxic Productivity: Reclaim Your Time and Energy in a World That Always Demands MoreJoin Israa Nasir as she explores the concept of toxic productivity and its impact on our lives. In this episode, Israa discusses how striving for constant productivity can drain our emotional energy and distort our sense of self-worth. She shares her personal journey as an immigrant and a therapist, connecting her experiences to broader cultural pressures that valorize output over well-being. Subscribe for ad-free interviews and bonus episodes https://plus.acast.com/s/the-unmistakable-creative-podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2024-12-1357 min
The Brave Table with Dr. Neeta Bhushan284: Breaking Free from Toxic Productivity: How to Reclaim Your Worth and Redefine Success with Israa NasirWhat’s up, Brave Table fam? It’s Dr. Neeta here, your sassy, warm, and always-brave guide to unpacking life’s biggest questions. This week, we’re diving into a conversation that will have you rethinking everything you thought you knew about productivity. Are you addicted to the hustle? Is your self-worth wrapped up in your to-do list? Well, buckle up, because today, the brilliant Israa Nasir—psychotherapist, mental health educator, and author of Toxic Productivity—is here to shake things up.
Israa gets real about the immigrant hustle mentality, self-worth, and how shame and toxic pr...2024-12-1155 min
Abel James ShowIsraa Nasir: Why Hyper-Optimization Protocols Do More Harm Than GoodDo you feel a constant pressure to optimize every aspect of your life? What if hyper-optimization protocols actually do more harm than good? The glorification of hustle culture has given many of us the nagging feeling that no matter how much we do or accomplish, it's never quite enough. Living in a cloud of frantic, urgent, reactive energy can even cause us to lose sight of who we are and why we’re working so hard. If you want to reclaim your time, energy and purpose in life, you need to rebel against c...2024-12-0550 minAbel James ShowIsraa Nasir: Why Hyper-Optimization Protocols Do More Harm Than GoodDo you feel a constant pressure to optimize every aspect of your life? What if hyper-optimization protocols actually do more harm than good? The glorification of hustle culture has given many of us the nagging feeling that no matter how much we do or accomplish, it's never quite enough. Living in a cloud of frantic, urgent, reactive energy can even cause us to lose sight of who we are and why we’re working so hard. If you want to reclaim your time, energy and purpose in life, you need to rebel against c...2024-12-0550 min