israa nasir - escaping toxic productivity

Join us as we dive deep with psychotherapist Israa Nasir into the hidden mechanisms of toxic productivity and discover practical strategies for breaking free from the overwork cycle.

Israa, founder of digital mental health community WellGuide and author of Toxic Productivity, brings her expertise as she unpacks why we've become so driven by external validation in our hyper-connected world. "What I was seeing in the research was that our emotions that are not resolved will compel you to do things to get externally motivated self-worth," she explains, revealing the psychological foundation of our collective burnout crisis.

Throughout our conversation, Israa offers refreshingly practical approaches to rebuilding your relationship with productivity. From engaging in creative hobbies with zero expectation of monetization to redefining rest as an essential daily practice rather than a reward, her insights challenge the fundamental assumptions that keep us trapped in cycles of overwork.

Particularly illuminating is Isra's exploration of our inner critic—that voice constantly pushing us toward "more" while telling us we're never enough. Her technique of asking "whose voice does this sound like?" creates the crucial separation needed to develop healthier self-talk. Combined with her "so what" method for managing anxiety and perfectionism, these tools provide immediate relief from the pressure many of us feel daily.

Whether you're struggling with work-life balance, battling perfectionism, or simply questioning why you feel compelled to be productive every waking moment, this episode offers both validation and actionable strategies. As Israa reminds us, high productivity sprints should be exceptions, not the rule of your life—and sometimes the most productive thing you can do is simply take a deep breath and slow down.