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