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.
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