In this episode, I unpack why feeling stuck in your thinking does not mean something is wrong with you. It means your brain is doing exactly what it was designed to do.

I explore how familiar stories form in the mind, why confirmation bias keeps reinforcing the same beliefs, and how those patterns quietly shape what we notice, avoid, and believe is possible for us.

This conversation is about learning to recognize thoughts as information rather than facts, softening the grip of old narratives, and creating space for growth without forcing change or self-judgment.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The brain prioritizes familiarity because it feels safer than uncertainty

• Confirmation bias filters information to protect existing beliefs

• Stress and overwhelm intensify rigid thinking patterns

• Thoughts are information, not instructions or facts

• Absolute language often signals a belief that needs updating

• Old stories were once protective, even if they no longer serve you

• Growth requires awareness before it requires action

• Asking what else might be true opens cognitive flexibility

• Safe reflection from others can help reveal blind spots

• Updating beliefs expands capacity and reduces internal friction

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

Becoming the Eight Percent Book: https://a.co/d/gcqxerH

If this episode helped you notice the stories running in your own mind, share it with someone who feels stuck or discouraged right now.

Join the conversation, leave a review, and subscribe to The Happy Stack Podcast so you never miss an episode.

• (00:00:01) - How to Stick to a Happy Life
• (00:03:33) - Confirmation bias: How to Keep a Comfortable Narrative in
• (00:13:38) - How to Start to Live a Happier Life

In this episode, Terri-Ann Richards unpacks a subtle but powerful mental habit that’s quietly driving stress, disconnection, and frustration in our relationships: the way we judge others—and ourselves—without context.

Drawing from psychology and real-life examples, she explains the fundamental attribution error and how stress pushes our brains into protection mode, making us more reactive, certain, and judgmental.

Terri-Ann walks listeners through practical, compassionate strategies to interrupt this pattern, rebuild emotional safety in relationships, and replace certainty with curiosity—without excusing harmful behavior. This episode is a grounding reminder that much of our unhappiness isn’t caused by what happens, but by the meaning we assign to it.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• We explain others’ behavior by character but our own by circumstances — often without realizing it
  
• Stress lowers our capacity for empathy and perspective-taking
  
• Judgment increases when we’re tired, overwhelmed, hungry, or emotionally overloaded
  
• Small interpretations, not big events, are what slowly erode relationships
  
• Adding context before drawing conclusions creates emotional intelligence
  
• Separating behavior from identity keeps relationships flexible instead of rigid
  
• Offering others the same grace we give ourselves reduces resentment and stress
  
• Replacing certainty with curiosity strengthens connection and wellbeing

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

Becoming the Eight Percent Book: https://a.co/d/gcqxerH

If this episode gave you a moment of recognition or relief, share it with someone who might need it.

Join the conversation by commenting with your thoughts, reflections, or experiences—and subscribe to The Happy Stack for more insights on building a calmer, more connected life.

• (00:00:01) - How to Live a Happier, More Satisfying Life
• (00:08:26) - 3 Ways to Shift Judgments

In this episode, I talk about a part of growth that doesn’t get named nearly enough—the grief that comes with outgrowing who you used to be.

When old strategies, identities, and relationships no longer fit, growth can feel less like expansion and more like subtraction.

I explore why this transition feels so uncomfortable, how the nervous system clings to familiarity even when it costs us, and why letting go of what once protected you is a necessary part of becoming who you’re meant to be.

If you’re in the messy middle of your next level, feeling restless, lonely, or unsettled, this conversation is for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Growth often feels painful because you’re shedding identities that once kept you safe
  
  
• The brain craves familiarity, even when it no longer serves you
  
  
• Grief isn’t regression—it’s evidence that you’re leaving something behind
  
  
• Old coping strategies can resurface during stress if they’re not consciously released
  
  
• Outgrowing people doesn’t mean rejecting them—it means refusing to abandon yourself
  
  
• Not everyone will come with you when you evolve, and that’s part of the process
  
  
• Growth can feel lonely even when it’s healthy
  
  
• Letting go of survival strategies creates space for thriving
  
  
• You don’t owe consistency to people who benefited from your self-betrayal
  
  
• Growth without grief isn’t real growth

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

Becoming the Eight Percent Book: https://a.co/d/gcqxerH

If this episode helped you make sense of the discomfort you’re in, share it with someone who’s quietly outgrowing their old life.

And if you haven’t already, subscribe to The Happy Stack Podcast so you don’t miss future conversations on growth, leadership, and becoming who you’re meant to be.

• (00:00:01) - The Happy Stack Podcast
• (00:00:33) - How to Grieve Your Growth (Happy Step Podcast)
• (00:04:23) - What Am I Trying To Outgrow? But Still Using the Old
• (00:07:03) - What Is Grief?

In this episode, I break down one of the biggest misconceptions about confidence: it doesn’t come from success, certainty, or feeling ready. It’s built through follow-through, especially when things feel uncomfortable.

I explore why avoidance often masquerades as logic for high performers, how fear actually strengthens when we dodge discomfort, and why confidence quietly erodes when self-trust is compromised.

This conversation is about rebuilding confidence from the inside out by doing the hard things, consistently and with integrity.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Confidence is built through follow-through, not success

• Avoidance strengthens fear rather than reducing it

• Confidence is retrospective — it comes after you survive discomfort

• Self-trust is the foundation of lasting confidence

• Avoidance is often about protecting identity, not avoiding tasks

• Small, repeated exposures to discomfort build resilience

• Integrity matters more than intensity when building confidence

• Doing things imperfectly still counts as progress

• Your nervous system needs proof, not pressure

• One intentional discomfort a day compounds self-trust

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

Becoming the Eight Percent Book: https://a.co/d/gcqxerH

If this episode challenged how you think about confidence, share it with someone who’s been waiting to feel ready before taking the next step.

Subscribe to The Happy Stack Podcast so you don’t miss future episodes on building resilience, self-trust, and sustainable growth.

• (00:00:01) - The Happy Stack Podcast
• (00:00:34) - How Do You Build Confidence?
• (00:05:31) - Confidence Building in a Way That Actually Works

In this episode, I talk about something I see constantly in high performers and leaders: burnout doesn’t always come from failure or chaos, it often shows up when things are going well. More opportunity, more responsibility, more visibility can quietly outpace our internal capacity.

I break down what psychology calls role strain, why doing more discipline or optimization won’t fix it, and how emotional honesty and clarity are what actually expand your ability to handle life.

This conversation is about learning what truly drains you, building internal reinforcement, and creating capacity that grows with your success instead of collapsing under it.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• People often crack when success outpaces internal capacity
  
  
• Capacity does not expand through pressure, but through recovery and repetition
  
  
• Emotional labor drains more energy than physical work
  
  
• Suppressing feelings and constant self-monitoring exhausts the nervous system
  
  
• Handling your life is about clarity, not toughness
  
  
• Knowing what actually drains you is more important than what should drain you
  
  
• Emotional literacy prevents burnout more than emotional armor
  
  
• Speaking sooner and deciding cleaner protects your energy
  
  
• Clarity reduces friction and preserves capacity
  
  
• Internal reinforcement must grow alongside external success

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 helped you rethink why success sometimes feels heavier instead of lighter, share it with someone who’s carrying more than they realize.

Subscribe to The Happy Stack Podcast so you don’t miss future conversations on building a life that actually feels sustainable.

• (00:00:01) - How to Raise Your Confidence

In this episode, I explore a truth many high performers live but rarely name: ambition can coexist with healing—but only if your nervous system isn’t stuck in survival.

I unpack why staying busy often becomes a coping mechanism, how success can mask unresolved stress, and why waiting to “pause life” to heal doesn’t actually work.

This conversation is about learning how to regulate while moving, finish the stress cycle in real time, and build a life where ambition doesn’t come at the cost of your body, relationships, or peace.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• You don’t need to stop performing to heal—you need to regulate while you move
  
  
• Ambition often becomes a strategy to outrun discomfort and unresolved stress
  
  
• A dysregulated nervous system keeps success from ever feeling safe or satisfying
  
  
• Healing doesn’t require retreat; it requires awareness and completion
  
  
• Finishing the stress cycle is essential for long-term resilience
  
  
• Productivity can coexist with regulation when safety is restored
  
  
• Your body doesn’t need less drive—it needs more recovery signals
  
  
• Healing in motion prevents burnout without killing momentum

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 helped you see your ambition differently, share it with someone who’s succeeding on the outside but struggling on the inside.

Subscribe to The Happy Stack Podcast and choose one way this week to finish your stress cycle instead of pushing through it.

• (00:00:01) - How to Stake Out a Happy Life
• (00:06:41) - How to Shorten Your Stress Cycle

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:

• Boundaries aren’t walls — they’re vulnerability in action.
  
  
• Saying yes when you mean no teaches people your needs don’t matter.
  
  
• Healthy boundaries make relationships stronger, not weaker.
  
  
• Guilt isn’t a sign you’re doing something wrong — it’s a sign you’re healing old patterns.
  
  
• The nervous system stabilizes when you communicate clearly and stop overextending.
  
  
• Boundaries must be proactive, not reactive.
  
  
• People may resist your boundaries at first, especially if they benefited from your lack of them.
  
  
• You need internal boundaries just as much as external ones.
  
  
• Clear communication prevents resentment, burnout, and emotional leakage.
• Protecting your energy is not selfish — it’s leadership.

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.

• (00:00:01) - The Happy Stack Podcast
• (00:00:33) - Why Boundaries Are So Hard to Get
• (00:07:17) - Setting Boundaries for Yourself
• (00:09:00) - Setting Boundaries for Your Relationships
• (00:10:22) - Happy Stack: Stacking Wins

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:

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

  2. Shift from networking to nurturing—prioritize depth over volume

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

  4. Practice small courage—tiny acts of honesty rebuild safety

  5. 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.

• (00:00:01) - Why You're More Connected Than Ever
• (00:07:03) - How to Build a Connection of Meaning
• (00:09:40) - Step 2, I want you to shift from networking to nurturing
• (00:15:22) - Happy Stack: How to Connect With People