Jay sits down with singer-songwriter Noah Kahan to break down the pressure that comes after “making it” - the imposter syndrome, the constant comparison, and the fear of losing it all. Noah shares how music became his escape from anxiety growing up, what it felt like to finally land the record deal he dreamed of, and why success didn’t silence the doubt, it amplified it.

Jay and Noah unpack the myth of the “tortured artist,” and the quiet fear that healing might take away what makes you creative. Noah opens up about his recent OCD diagnosis, how he let go of the belief that he had to suffer for his art, and what it took to find his voice again without relying on pain. Noah speaks candidly about his struggles with body dysmorphia and the unexpected therapy of creating his documentary. Together they explore what it means to find balance and to stop performing for the world so you can finally be seen by the people who matter most.

In this episode, you'll learn:

How to Stop Defining Your Worth by Your Work 

How to Face Your Unseen Fears Through Therapy 

How to Stay Present When Life Feels Overwhelming 

How to Extract Lessons from Painful Feedback 

How to Handle the Fear of Losing Your Success 

How to Stay Grounded Between Praise and Criticism  

How to Prioritize Your Time Over the Endless Grind

Whether you are navigating a major life transition or simply trying to find your footing in a loud world, remember that your self-worth is not a mathematical equation based on your latest achievement.

No one should have to navigate their mental health journey alone. Join Noah in the mission to prove that the more we share our stories, the more we empower others to do the same. Visit: https://www.busyheadproject.org/ 

With Love and Gratitude,

Jay Shetty

JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe  

Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast 

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro

01:54 Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of Others 

04:39 The Childhood Memory That Defined My Career 

05:42 Middle Child Energy and the Need to Be Heard 

06:57 Music Was My Only Plan A 

08:44 The Disconnect Between Fitting In and Being Genuine  

11:09 Expressing Yourself Without Giving Yourself Away 

14:05 Songwriting: The Constant Search for a Simpler Life 

17:25 Every Creative Process Is Different 

18:52 When What You Do Becomes Who You Are 

24:07 The Power of Journaling Your Lessons 

27:05 Does Healing Kill Creativity? 

29:48 My Biggest Regret in Communicating with Family 

32:43 The Vulnerability of Filming Your Private Life 

36:32 Healing and Finding Peace as a Family 

43:51 Has Success Made Mental Health Harder or Better? 

46:19 The Honest Truth about Body Dysmorphia 

52:09 Living and Dying by Your Own Honesty 

57:40 The Difference Between Going to Therapy and Doing Therapy 

01:00:24 Do You Secretly Find Comfort in Your Pain? 

01:02:01 Re-evaluating What Truly Matters After Success 

01:05:59 Finding the Strength to Believe in Yourself 

01:11:04 Protecting Your Heart While Taking Criticism

01:14:06 Stability Rooted in Love and Marriage

01:20:48 Would You Rather?

01:22:55 Gut Reaction

01:25:46 Noah on Final Five  

Episode Resources:

Website | https://noahkahan.com/ 

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/c/NoahKahan 

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/noahkahanmusic 

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/noahkahanmusic/ 

TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@noahkahanmusic 

X | https://x.com/NoahKahan

Jay sits down with singer-songwriter Noah Kahan to break down the pressure that comes after &ldquo;making it&rdquo; - the imposter syndrome, the constant comparison, and the fear of losing it all. Noah shares how music became his escape from anxiety growing up, what it felt like to finally land the record deal he dreamed of, and why success didn&rsquo;t silence the doubt, it amplified it.
Jay and Noah unpack the myth of the &ldquo;tortured artist,&rdquo; and the quiet fear that healing might take away what makes you creative. Noah opens up about his recent OCD diagnosis, how he let go of the belief that he had to suffer for his art, and what it took to find his voice again without relying on pain. Noah speaks candidly about his struggles with body dysmorphia and the unexpected therapy of creating his documentary. Together they explore what it means to find balance and to stop performing for the world so you can finally be seen by the people who matter most.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How to Stop Defining Your Worth by Your Work&nbsp;
How to Face Your Unseen Fears Through Therapy&nbsp;
How to Stay Present When Life Feels Overwhelming&nbsp;
How to Extract Lessons from Painful Feedback&nbsp;
How to Handle the Fear of Losing Your Success&nbsp;
How to Stay Grounded Between Praise and Criticism&nbsp;&nbsp;
How to Prioritize Your Time Over the Endless Grind
Whether you are navigating a major life transition or simply trying to find your footing in a loud world, remember that your self-worth is not a mathematical equation based on your latest achievement.
No one should have to navigate their mental health journey alone. Join Noah in the mission to prove that the more we share our stories, the more we empower others to do the same. Visit: <a href="https://www.busyheadproject.org/">https://www.busyheadproject.org/</a>&nbsp;
With Love and Gratitude,
Jay Shetty
JAY&rsquo;S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX
Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe <a href="https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe">https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe</a> &nbsp;
Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! <a href="https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast">https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast</a>&nbsp;
What We Discuss:
00:00 Intro
01:54 Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of Others&nbsp;
04:39 The Childhood Memory That Defined My Career&nbsp;
05:42 Middle Child Energy and the Need to Be Heard&nbsp;
06:57 Music Was My Only Plan A&nbsp;
08:44 The Disconnect Between Fitting In and Being Genuine&nbsp;&nbsp;
11:09 Expressing Yourself Without Giving Yourself Away&nbsp;
14:05 Songwriting: The Constant Search for a Simpler Life&nbsp;
17:25 Every Creative Process Is Different&nbsp;
18:52 When What You Do Becomes Who You Are&nbsp;
24:07 The Power of Journaling Your Lessons&nbsp;
27:05 Does Healing Kill Creativity?&nbsp;
29:48 My Biggest Regret in Communicating with Family&nbsp;
32:43 The Vulnerability of Filming Your Private Life&nbsp;
36:32 Healing and Finding Peace as a Family&nbsp;
43:51 Has Success Made Mental Health Harder or Better?&nbsp;
46:19 The Honest Truth about Body Dysmorphia&nbsp;
52:09 Living and Dying by Your Own Honesty&nbsp;
57:40 The Difference Between Going to Therapy and Doing Therapy&nbsp;
01:00:24 Do You Secretly Find Comfort in Your Pain?&nbsp;
01:02:01 Re-evaluating What Truly Matters After Success&nbsp;
01:05:59 Finding the Strength to Believe in Yourself&nbsp;
01:11:04 Protecting Your Heart While Taking Criticism
01:14:06 Stability Rooted in Love and Marriage
01:20:48 Would You Rather?
01:22:55 Gut Reaction
01:25:46 Noah on Final Five&nbsp;&nbsp;
Episode Resources:
Website | <a href="https://noahkahan.com/">https://noahkahan.com/</a>&nbsp;
YouTube | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/NoahKahan">https://www.youtube.com/c/NoahKahan</a>&nbsp;
Facebook | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/noahkahanmusic">https://www.facebook.com/noahkahanmusic</a>&nbsp;
Instagram | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/noahkahanmusic/">https://www.instagram.com/noahkahanmusic/</a>&nbsp;
TikTok | <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@noahkahanmusic">https://www.tiktok.com/@noahkahanmusic</a>&nbsp;
X | <a href="https://x.com/NoahKahan">https://x.com/NoahKahan</a>

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace.

I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace.
I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

My name is Jay Shetty, and my purpose is to make wisdom go viral. I’m fortunate to have fascinating conversations with the most insightful people in the world, and on my podcast, I’m sharing those conversations with you. New episodes Mondays and Fridays. Please rate and review the podcast if you enjoy it. Live life today ON PURPOSE.

My name is Jay Shetty, and my purpose is to make wisdom go viral. I’m fortunate to have fascinating conversations with the most insightful people in the world, and on my podcast, I’m sharing those conversations with you. New episodes Mondays and Fridays. Please rate and review the podcast if you enjoy it. Live life today ON PURPOSE.

NOAH KAHAN: Imposter Syndrome, Anxiety & The Pressure of Success (What He’s Never Shared Before)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a8ac16d0-769a-4aa2-b612-b424005f6917/transcript