In this episode, Dr. Dimitrios Tsatiris discusses the relationship between achievement and happiness. He shares his insights and expertise on how high achievers may struggle with feelings of inadequacy or lack of fulfillment despite their external success.
Meet Dimitrios Tsatiris
Dimitrios Tsatiris, M.D., is a practicing board-certified psychiatrist with a specialization in anxiety management. Dimitrios holds the Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry position at Northeast Ohio Medical University.
With his expertise in the field of psychiatry, Dimitrios provides valuable insights into anxiety, depression, and the challenges faced by high achievers. He helps individuals in various settings by offering medication management and psychotherapy to address their difficulties with anxiety and depression. In particular, he focuses on serving physicians who often struggle with underlying issues despite their external success.
Dimitrios is also an accomplished writer and has contributed to Psychology Today, where he maintains a blog on anxiety and high achievers. His writing offers valuable perspectives and advice for individuals striving to manage anxiety and improve their well-being.
About the episode
Dimitrios believes that happiness can be seen in two ways: as a fleeting emotion or as a deeper pursuit of life satisfaction, purpose, and fulfillment. He points out two major misconceptions: first, that success always leads to happiness, which is not true. Second, successful people are inherently more worthy or different from others, which is also false. According to him, success doesn’t guarantee happiness. Everyone shares common humanity and struggles regardless of their achievements.
He says that achievement and success have a dual nature in human lives. On the one hand, they satisfy the human innate need for competence and feeling good about oneself. Whether acing an exam or earning a degree, achieving goals can bring happiness. However, it’s like a double-edged sword. When solely basing happiness on achievement, it becomes risky.
Dimitrios mentions that success keeps moving, and people will continually set higher goals. making it a never-ending chase. He also argues that happiness derived from success is short-lived, lasting only a few days before people crave more.
To maintain true happiness, Dimitrios recommends diversifying one’s sources of joy. He advises against sacrificing personal relationships for the pursuit of professional success, as it is a trade-off that is not worth making.
He also discusses how social media has significantly amplified people’s desire for achievement. In the past, individuals weren’t constantly exposed to what they were missing out on. Nowadays, social media constantly bombards us with idealized versions of others’ lives, leading to a continuous stream of social comparisons.
Each time people scroll, they measure our real, messy lives against someone’s carefully curated projection. This constant exposure fosters feelings of inadequacy and the need to strive for more constantly. Alongside personality traits like being type A or a perfectionist, this modern environment has played a major role in intensifying one’s achievement-oriented mindset.
Dimitrios shares some best practices for well-being:
- Physical health: Dimitrios emphasizes the importance of incorporating physical activity and exercise into daily routines for overall well-being. He suggests finding small opportunities for exercise, such as a 10-minute workout or a short walk, even with busy schedules.
- Psychological well-being: Dimitrios practices gratitude every morning for a few minutes to counter the brain’s natural negativity bias. By consciously appreciating something in his life, he cultivates a positive mindset to start the day.
- Social boundaries: Dimitrios highlights the significance of setting boundaries in the social aspect of life. He personally separates his professional and personal roles, dedicating weekends to family and personal life to fully recharge and be present.
In conclusion
This episode discusses how happiness can be defined in different ways. One of the biggest misconceptions about happiness is that success automatically leads to happiness. In reality, many high achievers suffer from higher rates of burnout and dissatisfaction. According to Dimitrios, achieving happiness and fulfillment requires introspection and finding one’s own purpose and meaning in life. This journey is deeply personal and extends beyond mere external accomplishments.
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