Why Changing Priorities Can Feel So Unsettling (And What to Do About It)

(air whooshes) (mouse clicks) (soft music) Headspace Studio. Hey friends, it's Rosie here. Welcome to "Radio Headspace" and to Wednesday. So something happens as we get older that nobody really warns you about. Our priorities change, and sometimes that change can feel unsettling, like we're losing parts of ourselves, like we don't quite fit in the way we used to. When I was in my 20s, I said yes to everything. I had a serious case of FOMO, like, bad. If there was a party, I was there. If someone invited me to a weekend trip last minute, I packed my bags, and sometimes I was so wrapped up in making sure I didn't miss out on the fun, that I'd let other more important things slip through the cracks, like work deadlines, my wellbeing, and honestly just getting enough sleep to function like an actual human being. Did you ever do that? So I've had the same group of friends since I was a kid, and for a long time we were all moving at the same pace. But as the years went by, things started to shift. Some of my friends got married, some had kids, and some continued to burn the candle at both ends. And me? Well, I started choosing something different, a middle path, if you will, a little bit of going out, a little bit of staying in, and a lot more time creating space to grow into the next version of myself. And then came the moment that really forced me to confront this change. Right before I turned 30, I made a decision to move to Portland with Tori. It was this exciting new chapter, and I felt so sure about it, but when I told one of my friends, they looked me dead in the eye and said, "You are making a huge mistake, this is so not you." And here's the thing, this was coming from someone whose life was constantly in shambles, like, truly, constantly, but somehow their words shook me. I mean, this person knew me, right? I started questioning everything. Was I making a mistake? It became a source of so many arguments between Tori and I and I realized how hard it is to step into change when the people around you aren't ready for it. When our priorities shift, it can feel like a loss, like we're leaving behind parts of ourselves. But the truth is, change isn't losing yourself, it's growing into who you're meant to be next, and science backs this up. A study from Harvard found that while people assume their happiness is tied to external achievements, what actually brings long-term fulfillment is alignment, our ability to make choices that reflect our values as they evolve. In other words, when we stop forcing ourselves to fit into old versions of our life, we actually make space for more joy, not less. The turning point for me was when I realized this wasn't about...