Toxic Productivity

Israa Nasir is a New York City–based psychotherapist and writer. She’s the founder of “The Well Guide,” a monthly essay that explores mental health and emotional well-being, and she currently serves as a digital health executive, promoting emotional well-being through education and systems-level initiatives.

Nasir’s timely book tackles one of the pertinent wellness issues of our age: the compulsion to pursue nonstop optimization — or “toxic productivity.” Nasir probes the roots of the problem, offers antidotes to the self-doubt and shame that often drive it, and suggests an alternative: self-care, rest, and authenticity. She highlights how toxic productivity can obstruct your efforts to live an authentic, values-driven life, and she explains how to escape this toxic mindset and live a more joyful, intentional life.