Why Success Can Feel So Stressful

(computer mouse clicks) (gentle music) ♪ Headspace Studio ♪ (gentle music) Hi, this is Dora and welcome to Radio Headspace. I don't know if you've ever had this experience where something you've been working towards for a long time finally happens and instead of feeling light or relieved, it feels a little heavy, almost like something has been added rather than taken away. I had this happen recently. Something I shared online started to reach a lot more people than I expected. It kind of took a life of its own. And at first I felt really grateful. It felt good to know that what I was sharing was connecting with people. But almost immediately after that, I noticed something else. This interesting pressure started to creep in like, okay, now I have to keep this momentum going. I need to create more. I need to show up in a certain way. And it was subtle at first, but the more I paid attention to it, the more I could feel it. (gentle music) And I think this is something that happens quite naturally when something goes well. The mind doesn't always just leave it there. It starts to build on it, add to it, create a story around what it means and what needs to happen next. I remember noticing it in my body. Instead of feeling open or expansive, it actually felt quite tight. Like I wanted to pull back a little, almost hide, which was confusing because I thought this was something I wanted. And when I really paused and sat with it, I had to ask myself, where is this coming from? No one told me I had to do more or needed to be more. And no one said I had to maintain anything. That pressure was something my mind created. And in seeing that, something began to shift. The situation didn't change, but how I related to it did. The heaviness wasn't really the success itself. It was a story around it. (gentle music) And maybe many of us experience this in different ways. It might not be something going viral. It could be a new opportunity, a promotion, a relationship, anything that feels like a step forward. And then suddenly there's a sense of needing to keep up with it or live up to it. (gentle music continues) So today, it might be interesting just to notice how do you define success? Not in theory, but in how it actually feels. Does it feel open? Does it feel tight? Does it feel like enough? Or does it feel like it's asking for more? And maybe just for a moment, you can gently question the story around it, what's actually happening and what's being added on top. (gentle music) Sometimes it's not the moment itself that feels heavy. It's everything the mind builds around it. So something just to think about. Thanks for being here and I'll see you next time. (gentle upbeat music)...