Israa Nasir

If your nervous system feels dysregulated - it’s not because you’re doing life wrong, it's because your pace might be unrealistic. I went on the NBC News Daily @nbcnews to talk about stress management and being intentional with Vicky Nguyen @vickynguyentv and Morgan Radford @morgankradford 💞 We talked about staying grounded in healthy productivity, and I shared practical tools like building a dopamine menu so people can reach for regulation, not just more 'being busy'. It was an amazing milestone in the journey of my book - Toxic Productivity: taking something that started as a personal and clinical question, and seeing it land on a national stage where it might genuinely help someone breathe a little easier, reset their expectations, and choose a softer, more sustainable way to move through life. Thank you Sarah Hall PR @sarahhallprinc @haileyhelms for setting this one up and Nikhil @nikhil.saboo for filming this video! Forever grateful because I get to share my passion and insights about mental wellness with the world 💞 . . . #nbcnews #holidaystressrelief #toxicproductivity #wellguide

“Breaking out of the cycle of toxic productivity starts with creating a moment of awareness. Pause and ask yourself: Why am I pushing so hard right now? What am I trying to prove or avoid? Regular self-reflection allows you to observe and understand your habits, ultimately helping you change them. Even the smallest moment of recognition-a sense of exhaustion or an inner voice saying, something feels off-is a powerful starting point.” - Read the rest on time.com (I can’t believe I got to write for a @time magazine. Little me would be so excited 💞) . . . #wellguide #toxicproductivity #selfhelpbooks #personaldevelopmentbooks #timemagazine #businessbooks #leadershipbooks

For years, I believed that the more I accomplished, the more worthy I’d feel. But no matter how much I did, the feeling of ‘not enough’ lingered. I was exhausted, burned out, and still chasing the next goal, thinking that would finally bring fulfillment. I wrote Toxic Productivity because I know I’m not alone in this struggle. So many of us have been conditioned to believe that doing more makes us better, more deserving, more valued—but it’s a trap that only leads to burnout and self-doubt. This book is a labor of love, born from years of my own experiences and the stories of others who felt stuck in the endless cycle of doing. It’s been a journey of reflection, healing, and rediscovering what it means to live a meaningful life. Every page was written with the hope of helping you break free from the pressures that keep us from truly thriving. I’m so excited to share this with you, and I hope this book will inspire you to reclaim your time, your energy, and your joy. It’s time to stop measuring your worth by how much you achieve and start creating a life that feels full and purposeful—on your own terms. And as a special thank-you for preordering before Nov 19th, 2024, you’ll get access to exclusive bonus content—additional chapters on overcoming guilt and burnout, practical worksheets to help you map out your journey toward healthier productivity, and even a book club reading guide to spark deeper conversations. Pre-orders will also be entered into a raffle for a spot in a book club with me, as well as an invitation for a Toxic Productivity webinar! You can get all the details for pre-ordering on my website or through the link in my bio! Last slide is from @bloomingwithemmy - you know me, I love a good mental health meme! . . . #wellguide #toxicproductivity #personalgrowthanddevelopment #selfgrowthquotes #selfhelpbooks #personaldevelopmentbooks #selfhelpauthor #southasiantherapist

loving someone isn’t enough, you have to have the capacity to love them as well

When things go wrong, your brain defaults to negativity bias: a survival reflex that makes negative experiences hit harder and stick longer than positive ones. That inner voice that says you’re not enough, you messed up, you should’ve done better? It’s not the truth. It’s your nervous system in threat mode. And the more you listen to it unchallenged, the worse you feel. That’s where self-distancing comes in; a research-backed cognitive reframe that creates just enough psychological space between you and the spiral to actually think clearly. Instead of being inside the criticism, you step outside of it. You become the observer. And from there, compassion becomes possible. Try The Observer Shift the next time the inner critic gets loud. It takes 3 steps and less than 5 minutes. Because feeling better about yourself is a process and you deserve grace while you’re in it. 🤍 If today feels heavier than you can explain, that’s worth paying attention to. Take a free, anonymous mental health check-in at mhascreening.org it takes less than 5 minutes and it’s a powerful first step. Proud to partner with @mentalhealthamerica this Mental Health Awareness Month. 💚 . . . #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #InnerCritic #NegativeSelfTalk #WellGuide #SelfDistancing

Today is Mental Health Day of Action. Urge Congress to fund mental health prevention and early intervention and co-sponsor the EARLY Minds Act (H.R.1735 / S.779) Nearly 75% of all mental health conditions develop by age 24 yet resources to connect individuals to prevention care by this age are extremely limited. States need the flexibility to use federal funds to prevent mental health conditions and intervene early. What can you do? 1. Using MHA’s Action Alert, contact your Congressional offices to ask for co-sponsorship of the EARLY Minds Act and invite them to the briefing on Mental Health Day of Action. 2. Tag your Congressional representatives in a post on social media asking for co-sponsorship of the EARLY Minds Act. Use MHA’s sample social media posts with the hashtag #earlymindsact so their offices track your support. Head over to @mentalhealthamerica website for more information on how you can become more involved 💚 #wellguide #mentalhealthamerica #selfhelptips #toxicproductivity

Midlife can feel like another round of puberty — except this time, you have a better sense of what’s happening… sort of. And for many women, burnout in midlife doesn’t always look the way they expect it to. Israa Nasir ( @well.guide ), trained therapist and author of “Toxic Productivity” shares some signs to look out for if you think you might be going into burnout. 1️⃣ Your body starts sending you messages 2️⃣ You feel disconnected from your life 3️⃣ A “low-grade simmering resentment” creeps in A lot of women are highly functional while quietly feeling emotionally disconnected, chronically depleted, or overwhelmed by the invisible mental load they carry every day. Sound familiar? What helps you come back to yourself when you’re feeling burned out?

You can influence how you’re feeling even when the world is on fire. #wellguide #nervoussystemhealth #nervoussystemreset #emotionalregulation #selfhelptips

Conflict itself isn’t what predicts relationship failure. What matters is whether you can make successful “repair attempts” after rupture, such as humor, validation, affection, accountability, softening, or reconnecting. Healthy connections have 5 positive interactions for every 1 negative interaction during conflict. even though @gottmaninstitute research is about romantic relationships- I feel this can be extended to our friendships as well. What’s your style? . . #wellguide #attachmentstyle #attachmenttrauma #secureattachment #insecureattachment

Boundaries can create tension before they create relief. In psychology, this is because boundaries disrupt existing relational patterns and force people to adjust to a new dynamic. Research on attachment and relational safety shows that trust is built not through perfect harmony, but through consistent repair: honest conversations, accountability, reassurance, and mutual respect after tension arises. Healthy boundaries don’t destroy connection, they clarify what allows connection to feel sustainable and emotionally safe. A healthy boundary is an act of clarity and self-definition: communicating what you need, what you’re available for, or what protects your emotional wellbeing. A rupture, however, is the emotional disconnection, tension, hurt, or misunderstanding that can happen in response to that boundary. The boundary itself is not the rupture. The rupture is what emerges when the relationship is challenged to adapt to a new reality. One way to tell the difference between a healthy boundary and a reactive response is to ask: “Is this creating clarity or creating punishment?” Healthy boundaries are rooted in self-respect, consistency, and care for the relationship, even when they disappoint someone. Rupture is more likely when communication becomes avoidant, contemptuous, unclear, or emotionally charged without room for dialogue. If someone can tolerate your boundaries and work toward repair instead of punishment, withdrawal, or guilt, that’s often a marker of relational security. Explore more psychology-based resources on relationships, boundaries, and emotional health on my website using the link in my bio. . . #wellguide #boundarysetting #secureattachment #insecureattachment #boundarysettingtips

You may pour into people, work, relationships, or dreams and not always receive the same energy back. But the act of giving still matters because it reflects your values, your integrity, and the kind of person you choose to be. Your generosity, love, effort, care, and kindness are never just transactions; they are your character, regardless of whether they’re reciprocated. Shifting your mindset from “What did I get in return?” to “What kind of person am I becoming through what I give?” Will help release you from the pressure of want. It’s also a reminder not to let disappointment harden you. Other people’s inability to reciprocate doesn’t erase the meaning of your compassion, effort, or presence. But discernment matters too. Giving should not require abandoning yourself. There’s a difference between giving from fullness and giving from fear, obligation, guilt, or the hope that over-giving will finally earn love, validation, or belonging. You’ve likely given enough when: * your giving consistently leaves you depleted rather than connected, * resentment starts replacing generosity, * you are the only one sustaining the relationship, * your boundaries disappear in the name of being “good,” * or you keep pouring into someone who only receives, but never repairs, reciprocates, or recognizes. Healthy giving still leaves room for self-respect. The goal is not to become hard or withholding, but to learn that your worth is not measured by how much of yourself you can sacrifice. I hope you retain you sense of generosity amongst the uncertainty of the world. #wellguide #beingintentional #generosity #emotionalgrowth #selfhelptips

Ordinary habits make your life better. Your nervous system is shaped by what you repeatedly experience every single day. The small moments matter more than we think: taking a deep breath before answering a stressful text, stepping outside for sunlight, stretching between meetings, drinking water slowly, calling someone safe, letting yourself rest without earning it. These tiny acts of regulation teach your body that safety isn’t rare, dramatic, or far away. It can exist in ordinary moments too. Big breakthroughs can feel powerful, but sustainable healing is usually built through consistency, repetition, and small daily signals of care to your nervous system. Healing isn’t just something that happens on a retreat in the mountains. Drop or share your small habit that makes you feel grounded in the comments below. . . #wellguide #nervoussystemreset #nervoussystemhealth #nervoussystemhealing #vagusnerve