What's the secret to success? Be nicer to yourself

It seems we often rely on stress response to get things done. Adrenaline and caffeine help us switch between the two sides of the high-intensity emotions. Anxiety, anger, excitement and elation - we believe these are the states of mind needed to achieve success. The cost of trying to be "fired up" all the time is significant because it activates the body's stress response. Excitement can deplete our system when sustained over long periods and chronic stress compromises our immunity, memory and attention span. In other words, high intensity, whether it's from negative states like anxiety or positive states like excitement, taxes the body and exhausts us. More here