In this episode, I unpack one of the most uncomfortable truths I’ve had to learn in my own leadership and life: boundaries aren’t about keeping people out, they’re about keeping me intact.

I explore why high performers struggle to say no, how people-pleasing becomes a survival strategy, and why guilt shows up the moment we start prioritising ourselves. I also break down the science behind boundaries, the nervous system, and why clarity is one of the kindest things we can offer ourselves and others.

If you’ve been running on empty, giving more than you have, or feeling resentful and drained, this one will hit home.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:       

Links and Resources:

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

The Happy Stack Newsletter: https://happystack.substack.com/

Success Takes Courage Book: https://a.co/d/dgOqpbj

If this episode gave you the nudge or clarity you’ve been needing, share it with someone who’s overdue for a boundary reset.

And if you haven’t yet, subscribe so you never miss a new episode of The Happy Stack Podcast.

You can have a full calendar, a thriving career, a buzzing group chat—and still feel completely alone.

In this episode of The Happy Stack Podcast, I unpack what I call Connection Deficit Disorder: the silent, invisible loneliness high performers experience while looking “successful” on the outside.

I break down the neuroscience of disconnection, why high achievers default to surface-level relationships, and how emotional isolation silently fuels anxiety, burnout, and self-doubt.

More importantly, I walk you through five practical steps to rebuild real connection—the kind that nourishes your nervous system, grounds your identity, and reminds you that you’re human, not a machine.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:       

You can be surrounded by people and still feel profoundly unseen

Chronic loneliness impacts your physical health as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day

High performers often confuse connection with exposure and interaction with intimacy

Disconnection pushes your nervous system into chronic vigilance and burnout

Five steps to start healing Connection Deficit Disorder:

Stop confusing connection with exposure—vulnerability belongs with the right people

Shift from networking to nurturing—prioritize depth over volume

Redefine intimacy—presence and small moments matter more than deep talks

Practice small courage—tiny acts of honesty rebuild safety

Build connection rituals—consistency creates belonging

Links and Resources:

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

The Happy Stack Newsletter: https://happystack.substack.com/

Success Takes Courage Book: https://a.co/d/dgOqpbj

If this episode hit home, don’t keep it to yourself—reach out to someone you care about and let them know the real you.

Share the episode with someone who might be feeling disconnected, subscribe to the show, and choose one small act of honest connection this week. One moment of realness can shift everything.

You can have the goals, the plans, the vision—but if you don’t trust yourself to follow through, none of it sticks.

In this episode of The Happy Stack Podcast, I dive into why self-trust is the real foundation of confidence, consistency, and success.

I break down the neuroscience behind why we stop believing our own promises, how prediction errors erode motivation, and what it actually takes to rebuild trust with yourself. If you’re tired of saying “this time will be different” and not believing it, this episode will change how you move.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 

Links and Resources:

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

The Happy Stack Newsletter: https://happystack.substack.com/

Success Takes Courage Book: https://a.co/d/dgOqpbj

If this episode hit home, share it with someone who’s rebuilding trust in themselves too.

Subscribe, leave a review, and choose one small promise you can keep today—because trust isn’t built in big moments. It’s built in the quiet ones, when no one is watching but you.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly on edge—snapping at people, running on fumes, and trying to “push through”—you’re not broken. You’re just stuck in survival mode.

In this episode of The Happy Stack Podcast, I dive deep into how your nervous system drives your reactions, your emotions, and even your ambition.

I’ll unpack why calm feels so uncomfortable for high performers, how chronic stress rewires your brain, and what it really takes to move from reactivity to peace.

This is not about slowing down your life—it’s about regulating your energy so you can finally feel safe in your own calm.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 

Most people aren’t living their life—they’re reacting to it

Constant stress keeps your brain trapped in fight-or-flight mode

Calm can feel foreign when your nervous system has normalized chaos

Awareness is the first step to shifting from reaction to response

Five simple steps to rewire for calm:

Notice physical cues—tight chest, shallow breath, racing heart

Pause and self-reassure: “I’m safe. I’m good.”

Rebuild your baseline—teach your body that stillness is safe

Create micro-pauses throughout your day to reset your nervous system

Redefine productivity—rest fuels better ideas and clarity

Links and Resources:

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

The Happy Stack Newsletter: https://happystack.substack.com/

Success Takes Courage Book: https://a.co/d/dgOqpbj

If this episode hit home, share it with someone who’s been living in fight-or-flight without realizing it.

Subscribe, leave a review, and try one nervous system reset today—because the real measure of growth isn’t how much you can juggle, it’s how grounded you can stay while juggling it.

If your calendar is full, your to-do list never ends, and you’re still exhausted at the end of every day—this episode is for you.

In The Happy Stack Podcast, I break down why your issue isn’t time management, it’s energy management. You don’t need another planner, productivity hack, or 4 a.m. routine—you need better boundaries.

I’ll walk you through the real reasons you’re running on empty, the hidden energy leaks stealing your focus, and five practical ways to protect your most valuable resource: your capacity.

Because when you start managing energy instead of minutes, everything changes.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 

Time management fails when your emotional and mental capacity are depleted

Energy leaks are subtle but costly—like people-pleasing, emotional overfunctioning, or attending unneeded meetings

Boundaries aren’t walls—they’re filters that protect your attention and energy

You only have 3–4 hours of peak cognitive performance each day—use them wisely

Five energy management shifts:

Do a capacity check before saying yes

Identify and eliminate your energy thieves

Add buffer zones between commitments

Set emotional labor boundaries

Protect your peak energy hours like gold

Links and Resources:

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

The Happy Stack Newsletter: https://happystack.substack.com/

Success Takes Courage Book: https://www.amazon.com.au/Success-Takes-Courage-Inside-Out-Achievement-ebook/dp/B0BKWNT142

If this episode made you rethink how you’re spending your time, share it with someone who’s running on fumes.

Subscribe, leave a review, and take five minutes today to protect your energy—it’s your most valuable form of currency.

Let’s keep stacking that happiness, one boundary at a time.

You can have all the vision boards, routines, and goals in the world—but if your nervous system doesn’t feel safe, none of it will stick.

In this episode of The Happy Stack Podcast, I unpack why your body’s need for safety will always override your brain’s drive for success.

We’ll dive into how chronic stress, perfectionism, and overachievement rewire your nervous system to equate worth with productivity—and how to start breaking that pattern.

I’ll walk you through simple, science-backed ways to calm your body, align your goals with regulation, and finally create change that lasts.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 

You can’t build sustainable success on a dysregulated foundation

Your nervous system prioritizes familiarity, not success

High-functioning dysregulation looks like overworking, snapping at your team, people-pleasing, or fidgeting during downtime

Reactivity is often a nervous system issue—not a character flaw

Five practical shifts to rewire for calm and progress:

Start with safety, not strategy

Create micro-safe cues throughout your day

Use the 5% edge to stretch without triggering stress

Track success through regulation, not results

Ritualize your wind-down to teach your body closure

Links and Resources:

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

The Happy Stack Newsletter: https://happystack.substack.com/

Success Takes Courage Book: https://www.amazon.com.au/Success-Takes-Courage-Inside-Out-Achievement-ebook/dp/B0BKWNT142

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who’s been pushing harder instead of pausing deeper.

Subscribe, leave a review, and try one nervous system reset before your next big move.

Remember—regulation isn’t slowing down your success, it’s what makes it sustainable.

You know that rush you get when you hit a goal—the quick dopamine spike that makes you feel unstoppable… until it fades, and you’re already chasing the next thing?

In this episode of The Happy Stack Podcast, I dig into what I call achievement addiction—the hidden dependency high performers develop when their self-worth gets tied to results instead of identity.

I break down the neuroscience behind why achievements stop feeling fulfilling, the real cost of living in constant overdrive, and how to build what I call identity wholeness—so you can strive from a place of peace, not pressure.

If success feels good for only a moment, this one’s for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 

Achievement addiction is a dopamine loop that keeps high performers chasing temporary highs

It’s not a productivity issue—it’s an identity issue

Rest can feel uncomfortable because your nervous system links safety to achievement

Seven signs you may be in the loop: overworking, avoiding rest, downplaying wins, and tying your mood to output

Five steps to break the pattern:

Name your narrative – Identify the beliefs driving your worth

Celebrate with a pause – Let your nervous system feel the win

Create non-productive joy – Practice doing things without outcomes

Detach self-worth from numbers – Track integrity, kindness, and presence

Anchor in wholeness – Use mantras like “I am not what I do. I am who I am becoming.”

Links and Resources:

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

The Happy Stack Newsletter: https://happystack.substack.com/

Success Takes Courage Book: https://www.amazon.com.au/Success-Takes-Courage-Inside-Out-Achievement-ebook/dp/B0BKWNT142

If this episode hit home, share it with a fellow high achiever who’s stuck in the chase.

Subscribe, leave a review, and remember: your worth isn’t measured in metrics—it’s rooted in who you are, not what you do.

Let’s keep stacking wins that actually mean something.

Have you ever caught yourself saying “I’m fine” when you’re anything but?

In this episode of The Happy Stack Podcast, I dig into the trap of toxic positivity—the pressure to plaster on a smile, power through, and dismiss your real emotions.

I’ll share how this habit shows up for high performers, why it sabotages both mental health and leadership, and what to practice instead: grounded optimism.

We’ll unpack the brain science, the cost of suppressing emotions, and practical strategies to build resilience through truth, not denial.

If you’re tired of pretending everything is “all good,” this one’s for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 

Links and Resources:

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

The Happy Stack Newsletter: https://happystack.substack.com/

Success Takes Courage Book: https://www.amazon.com.au/Success-Takes-Courage-Inside-Out-Achievement-ebook/dp/B0BKWNT142

If this episode struck a chord, share it with someone who’s been powering through behind a smile.

Subscribe, leave a review, and try one of the practices this week.

Remember—happiness isn’t about ignoring hard things. It’s about meeting the truth and moving forward anyway.

Ever end a busy day feeling exhausted but realize you didn’t actually accomplish anything meaningful?

In this episode of The Happy Stack Podcast, I unpack “focus fatigue”—the quiet drain on your brainpower that leaves you overwhelmed, distracted, and under-inspired.

Backed by science and real-life coaching insights, I’ll show you how task switching, constant notifications, and reactive work sabotage your performance—and give you five practical strategies to reclaim your mental bandwidth.

Your brain isn’t broken—the system is. Let’s fix it together.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 

Links and Resources:

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

The Happy Stack Newsletter: https://happystack.substack.com/

Success Takes Courage Book: https://www.amazon.com.au/Success-Takes-Courage-Inside-Out-Achievement-ebook/dp/B0BKWNT142

If this episode hit home, share it with someone stuck in the distraction loop.

Subscribe, leave a review, and start tracking your own focus leaks this week.

Small shifts in your attention can create massive wins—let’s keep stacking them together.

I know what it’s like to look “successful” on the outside while feeling completely flat on the inside—because I’ve been there.

In this episode of The Happy Stack Podcast, I’m breaking down the reality of high-functioning burnout: the kind that doesn’t leave you curled up in bed but keeps you in overdrive while your joy quietly disappears.

We’ll unpack the biological toll of pushing through chronic stress, the warning signs you might be ignoring, and the small, powerful shifts that will help you reclaim energy, connection, and meaning—without burning it all down.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 

Burnout doesn’t always look like collapse—it can look like constant overdrive

Chronic stress without recovery floods your body with cortisol and dulls joy

High-functioning burnout often costs you relationships, creativity, and fulfillment

Redefining success can mean prioritizing rest and nervous system safety

Practical steps to shift: Name what’s real, redefine success, focus on output not hours, add joy reps, strengthen boundaries, and seek support early

Links and Resources:

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

The Happy Stack Newsletter: https://happystack.substack.com/

Success Takes Courage Book: https://www.amazon.com.au/Success-Takes-Courage-Inside-Out-Achievement-ebook/dp/B0BKWNT142

If this episode hit a little too close to home, don’t wait for the crash—share this with someone else in high gear, subscribe to the pod, and take one small step today to protect your energy and joy.

You don’t need to abandon your goals to take care of yourself—you just need to start from where you are.