Don't Call Me A Khawaga!

When productivity becomes avoidance — and why slowing down feels so uncomfortable

We’ve been taught to stay busy.
To keep going.
To do more, achieve more, prove more.

But what if being busy isn’t ambition… what if it’s avoidance?

In this episode, I unpack my own relationship with busyness — from constant work and overstimulation to the uncomfortable reality of what happens when everything slows down.

Because the moment I stop moving… I start thinking.  
And that’s where things get interesting.

If you've ever filled your schedule, your calendar, or your life just to avoid sitting with yourself… this one's for you. 

What is Don't Call Me A Khawaga!?

Don’t Call Me Khawaga is a podcast for Arab Gen X women navigating identity, aging, relationships, and ambition — without a neat narrative.

If you grew up between East & West, between cultures…
Between expectations and reinvention…
Between being told to stay quiet and now being told to brand yourself…

Hosted by Heba Shunbo, this podcast blends sharp humor, cultural commentary, and raw honesty about midlife, marriage, motherhood, career pivots, friendship, regret, ambition, and finding yourself at 40, 45, 50 and beyond.. This show is for you.

We talk about:
- Being in midlife without a neat narrative
- Relationships that didn’t work — even when you tried your best
- Identity confusion when you’ve lived in more than one world
- Aging without pretending it’s either tragic or magical
- And the strange loneliness of being capable, strong… and still unsure

This isn’t self-help.
It’s self-awareness — with humor.