PsycHacks
PsycHacks
Orion Taraban
Episode 604: Optimization fatigue (why you feel worse as you get better)
12 minutes Posted Mar 13, 2026 at 3:00 pm.
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Are you exhausted from trying to optimize every area of your life? In this episode, I discuss optimization fatigue and how constant self-improvement messaging quietly drains your energy. This is why you feel worse as you get better, even when you're making real progress. It turns out that optimization isn't actually optimal for either growth or outcome. If this is you, it may be time to step off the eudaimonic treadmill.

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Presented by Orion Taraban, Psy.D. PsycHacks provides viewers with a brief, thought-provoking video several days a week on a variety of psychological topics, inspired by his clinical practice. The intention is for the core idea contained within each video to inspire viewers to see something about themselves or their world in a slightly different light. The ultimate mission of the channel is to reduce the amount of unnecessary suffering in the world.

#psychology #selfdevelopment #growth