What if the key to better work isn’t doing more, but moving more, resting better, and thinking differently? Dr. Natalie Nixon joins us to unpack her Move, Think, Rest framework and explain why creativity thrives when we step away from hustle culture. From walking meetings and daydreaming to embracing ambiguity and redesigning how we work, this episode offers a powerful reframe for anyone feeling burned out or stuck.

[0:00] Introduction and speed round with Natalie Nixon

[10:20] Burnout, hustle culture, and redesigning how we work

[16:12 Productivity myths from the Industrial Revolution

[20:34] Movement hygiene and the benefits of walking

[26:39] The Move, Think, Rest model

[30:27] How to embrace ambiguity instead of fighting it

[38:27] The importance of scaling rest

[44:38] How Natalie finds her groove

[48:25] Grooving Session: Reframing productivity and creativity

©2026 Behavioral Grooves

MTR Challenge

Natalie Nixon

Move. Think. Rest. By Natalie Nixon, PhD

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Move

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Rest

In this annual “best of the best” episode, we revisit the behavioral science books that most influenced our thinking this year. Rather than ranking titles, we explore what made each book impactful; from happiness and psychological richness to leadership, teams, and behavioral economics, and why these ideas continue to challenge how we think, work, and live.

[0:00] Can we really rank “best” books?

[2:08] Book Giveaway - How to join

[3:34] Psychological richness and happiness

[5:50] Redefining wealth beyond money

[7:21] The illusion of self-derived beliefs

[8:25] Getting out of your own way

[11:11] The power of mattering at work

[13:21] Rethinking happiness

[15:01] Behavioral science in the real world

[16:45] Behavioral economics

[19:52] Behavioral science in marketing and advertising

[20:19] Closing thoughts and community invite

©2026 Behavioral Grooves

Life in Three Dimensions – Shigehiro Oishi

The Soul of Wealth – Daniel Crosby

The Knowledge Illusion – Steven Sloman

Detach – Bob Rosen

The Collective Edge – Colin Fisher

The Power of Mattering – Zach Mercurio

What We Value – Emily Falk

Beyond Happy – Mark Fabian

The Doors You Can Open – Rosalind Chow

The Housefly Effect – Eva van den Broek & Tim den Heijer

The Winner’s Curse – Richard Thaler & Alex Imas

Meditations for Mortals – Oliver Burkeman

Hacking the Human Mind – Richard Shotton

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Groovy Listening 2025 Playlist

Happy New Year, Groovers! This week, we're taking some time-off and sharing an oldie but a goodie - our conversation with Ayelet Fishbach.

The start of a new year often brings fresh motivation...and then we burnout. But why? In this recast, we are joined by Dr. Ayelet Fishbach to explore why willpower-driven resolutions fail and how behavioral science offers a smarter way to set goals that last. Through an examination of her research, we unpack meta-motivation, the problem with "the middle" and how you can design your goals better so that they carry momentum through January and beyond.

©2025 Behavioral Grooves

[0:00] Motivation and Willpower - a New Perspective with Ayelet Fishbach

[3:19] The Marshmallow Test and Its Misinterpretation

[7:52] Meta Motivation and Its Implications

[14:28] The Role of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

[18:17] Problems Around Goal Achievement

[32:41] The Important of Aspirational Goals

[42:58] Strategies for Overcoming the Problem of "the Middle"

[48:33] Key Takeaways

©2025 Behavioral Grooves

About Ayelet

Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation

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