Stress Management Techniques

I’m a doctor. I’ve built and run two health startups. And if there’s one thing I’ve learnt watching 1000+ high-performing individuals burn out—it's this: A “perfect” morning routine won’t save a dysregulated nervous system. Yes, journaling, breathwork, cold showers, green juices, and goal-setting are great tools. But here’s the truth most self-help books won’t tell you: If your nervous system is constantly in fight, flight, freeze, even the best habits start feeling like chores. Let me give you a few examples: 1/ A founder followed the “perfect” routine—5 AM wake-up, meditation, workouts, clean eating. Yet by 11 AM, he was drained. His HRV showed chronic stress. His body never felt safe enough to truly rest. 2/ A working mom had therapy, journaling, a spotless planner—yet barely slept 3 hours a night. Her cortisol spiked at night because her nervous system didn’t know how to relax. And it’s not their fault. 🔹 75% of adults report stress symptoms like fatigue, poor sleep, or headaches (APA).  🔹 Over 70% of burnout cases are tied to a dysregulated nervous system—not bad habits or lack of willpower. Pause and ask: Is my body stuck in survival mode? Because discipline is hard to practice when your brain thinks you’re in danger 24/7. Instead of more doing, maybe what you need is more being.  → Gentle movement instead of HIIT.  → 10 minutes of silence instead of productivity podcasts.  → Regulating your breath instead of chasing the next biohack. If your nervous system is dysregulated, routines won’t heal you. Safety, stillness, and self-compassion will. And that’s not “woo.” That’s science.

Consider this suggestion that has helped me survive this industry for three decades at Microsoft, Google, and Amazon…during this holiday season step back from the endless cycle of activity and think, reflect, and live in the moment. Being busy every second isn’t what leads to inspired decisions or breakthroughs. Instead, it can stifle creativity, increase stress, and prevent the innovative thinking that moves the needle. Ignore work and be with your family – I guarantee that you will have better ideas and more energy when you restart next year. Here are the specifics: 1. Create Space for Innovation: The best ideas often emerge when you have room to breathe and think. Give yourself permission to slow down over the holidays. With that mental breathing room, you’ll be better equipped to imagine creative approaches, develop new strategies, and identify opportunities that may have been hidden in the day-to-day grind. 2. Prevent Burnout: Non-stop work leads to burnout—worn-down energy levels, reduced clarity, and diminished effectiveness. By intentionally setting aside time to recharge, you protect your mental and physical well-being. Returning to work refreshed means you can hit the ground running with renewed focus, making it easier to channel your energy into the projects that drive real results. 3. Refresh Your Objectives: Innovation doesn’t just appear out of thin air; it emerges when you thoughtfully consider what’s been working and where you can improve. Use the slow ramp at the start of the year to reflect on the road ahead. Coming back with a fresh perspective will help you zero in on what matters most, ensuring your efforts align with your core objectives. 4. Invest Time in Yourself: Slowing down provides time for learning and personal growth—reading, thinking, or exploring new perspectives outside your normal routine. By expanding your horizons during the break, you return to the office with heightened curiosity and sharper judgment, ready to tackle complexity. This holiday season, step away from the mindset that more activity equals more success. Instead, recharge. Let your mind wander. Immerse yourself in moments that inspire you. By doing so, you’ll return to work with greater clarity, a fresh sense of purpose, and the creative momentum.

Let’s face it - current headlines spell a recipe for employee stress. Raging inflation, recession worries, international strife, social justice issues, and overall uncertainty pile onto already full work plates. As business leaders, keeping teams motivated despite swirling fears matters more than ever. Here are 5 strategies I lean into to curb burnout and boost morale during turbulent times: 1. Overcommunicate Context and Vision: Proactively address concerns through radical transparency and big picture framing. Our SOP is to hold quarterly all hands and monthly meetings grouped by level cohort and ramp up fireside chats and written memos when there are big changes happening. 2. Enable Flexibility and Choice: Where Possible Empower work-life balance and self-care priorities based on individuals’ needs. This includes our remote work policy and implementing employee engagement tools like Lattice to track feedback loops. 3. Spotlight Impact Through Community Stories: Connect employees to end customers and purpose beyond daily tasks. We leveled up on this over the past 2 years. We provide paid volunteer days to our employees and our People Operations team actively connects our employees with opportunities in their region or remotely to get involved monthly. Recently we added highlighting the social impact by our employees into our internal communications plan. 4. Incentivize Cross-Collaboration: Reduce silos by rewarding team-wide contributions outside core roles. We’ve increased cross team retreats and trainings to spark fresh connections as our employee base grows. 5. Celebrate the Humanity: Profile your employee’s talents beyond work through content spotlight segments. We can’t control the market we operate in, but as leaders we can make an impact on how we foster better collaboration to tackle the headwinds. Keeping spirits and productivity intact requires acknowledging modern anxieties directly while sustaining focus on goals ahead. Reminding your teams why the work matters and that they are valued beyond output unlocks loyalty despite swirling worries. What tactics succeeded at boosting team morale and preventing burnout spikes within your company amidst current volatility?

I’ve never shown anyone this photo. 4 years ago, I was diagnosed with a nerve disorder👇 The pain stung and half my face froze.  I couldn’t turn my head without being dizzy. I couldn’t walk without needing to lie down. During this time, I learnt a LOT. My views on work fundamentally changed. Before then - I was in a holding pattern with heightened stress. I was building a startup AND working full-time in edtech. I was so buzzed I couldn't sleep at night. I felt so stressed I got really sick. Looking back, it was nuts. Now - I run an agency that closes $50-100K+ deals and I’ve learnt to (mostly!) manage stress and marathon it. I wanted to share 7 key lessons so you can learn from my mistakes and grow your business smarter. Here’s what I learnt 👇 🎯 Prioritise energy > time Make a detailed list of all your roles and tasks. Identify what's draining and energising. As a founder, there will naturally be de-energising tasks you’ll need to do. Delegate, batch or tie these with something higher energy. 🎯 Master delegation I know it’s hard but delegation took me from $15K / month to my first $75K month. Free up your time to work on high leverage tasks. If you’re too busy IN the business, you’re not working ON the business. 🎯 Default to no Cut everything that doesn’t serve your mission. This means saying no to things that you WANT to do too. Write some nice pre-written "nos" aligned with your goals. Focus. 🎯 Remove negative energy Put yourself in rooms where people support your craziest dreams. Remove yourself from rooms where people drag you down. If family or friends aren't supportive, have the hard conversation. 🎯 Refund rude people If a client treats you badly, refund and fire. It’s not worth your energy — remember your self-worth. This took me two bad apples to learn. The second apple was far worse. 🎯 Ask yourself a hard question If everything went to smoke, would 100 year old me be proud of me? Less tangible but still important: 🎯 Believe in your wildest dreams You're the architect of your ambition. The master of your mind. If you can dream it, you can do it. Trust in the timing of your life and take every interaction as an opportunity to learn. BONUS: Be grateful for all you have Losing my smile was shattering but now if I'm having a bad day (which still happens!), I remember how damn lucky I am to smile again. Not everyone is so lucky. In summary: 1. Prioritise your energy > time. 2. Master delegation. For reals tho. 3. Default to no. Say no to say yes. 4. Remove negative energy. 5. Refund the rude people. 6. Ask yourself a hard q. 7. Dream big baby. 8. Be grateful. -- 🍌 Hi! I'm Joumana (rhymes with banana). I built a design agency from 0 to $75K / month in 12 months. My goal is share what's worked for me and to help startups stand out from the competition. I keep it real. Enjoy!

Lower Cortisol, Naturally (simple, body-first ways to calm the system): Stress isn’t only mindset, it’s biology. Nudge the body and the brain follows. Here are 9 body-native ways to lower cortisol: 1. Longer exhales (parasympathetic on) ↳ Slow, extended exhales signal “safe,” dialing down the stress response ↳ Try this: 4 seconds in, 6–8 seconds out, for 60–120 seconds 2. Morning daylight (clock alignment) ↳ Early light anchors your circadian rhythm so cortisol peaks earlier and fades at night ↳ Try this: 5–10 minutes of outdoor light within an hour of waking 3. Steady blood sugar (fewer stress spikes) ↳ Protein + fiber blunt glucose swings that can ping cortisol ↳ Try this: protein-forward breakfast; add greens/fiber to snacks 4. Rhythmical movement (gentle, repetitive) ↳ Walking, easy cycling, or swimming lowers arousal without overtaxing ↳ Try this: 10–20 minute walk after meals or between meetings 5. Hydrate + minerals (nervous system ease) ↳ Dehydration is a quiet stressor; fluids help regulate cortisol output ↳ Try this: water across the day; add a pinch of electrolytes if training/sweating 6. Humming/singing (vagus nerve tone) ↳ Vocal vibration stimulates the vagus nerve and promotes calm ↳ Try this: hum on your long exhale for 5 breaths, or sing one song 7. Warmth & release (tension off-ramp) ↳ Heat relaxes muscles and signals safety ↳ Try this: warm shower, gentle mobility (neck/hips), 5 minutes before bed 8. Safe touch & connection (oxytocin boost) ↳ Hugs and close connection counter stress chemistry ↳ Try this: a 20–30 second hug, pet the dog, or sit close and breathe together 9. Evening light hygiene (let cortisol drop) ↳ Dim light and fewer screens allow melatonin to rise and cortisol to fall ↳ Try this: screens off 60 minutes before bed; lamps over overheads High performance without high chronic stress is a design choice. Start small, repeat often, let the body lead. Which one will you try today, and when? ♻️ Share this with someone carrying more than they show ➕ Follow Helene Guillaume Pabis for human-first leadership, clarity, and momentum ✉️ Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dy3wzu9A

Your nervous system decides how you show up before you walk into the room. Most leaders prepare what they'll say. Few prepare how their brain will respond. A Managing Director I worked with was well-liked and approachable. But his team started feeling distant. Disconnected. Like he didn't care anymore. He did care. Deeply. But chronic stress had pushed his nervous system into threat mode. Before every meeting, his chest would tighten and his breathing would shallow. His brain was already defending before anyone spoke. We built a simple reset practice. Three minutes before team interactions. These are the techniques that made the difference: 1/ The physiological sigh Two quick inhales through your nose, one long exhale through your mouth. The fastest way to reduce stress in real-time. Works in 30 seconds. 2/ Cold water on your face Activates the dive reflex, slows your heart rate, shifts your system toward calm instantly. 3/ Progressive muscle relaxation Clench your fists for five seconds. Release. Move to your shoulders. Then your jaw. Tension and release signals your nervous system that the threat has passed. 4/ Grounding through your senses Press your feet into the floor. Name five things you can see. This activates your thinking brain, which quiets the threat center. 5/ Humming or vocal toning Activates your vagus nerve, which is the main pathway to your body's relaxation response. Even 60 seconds shifts your state. 6/ Slow orienting Turn your head slowly and scan the room. This ancient signal tells your brainstem: no predators here. You're safe. Within weeks, his team noticed he was present again. Listening. Engaged. Not because he learned new techniques. Because his nervous system finally stopped blocking what was already there. Your nervous system doesn't respond to logic. It responds to signals. Which of these could you try before your next high-stakes conversation?

🔍 New Paper on Promoting Psychological Detachment from Work We recently conducted a randomized controlled trial with 393 participants to compare the effectiveness of two interventions aimed at promoting psychological recovery from work-related stress: 🌿 Mindfulness-Based Strategies (focusing on acceptance and non-reactivity) 🧠 Cognitive-Behavioral Strategies (focusing on changing behaviors to support recovery) Using the stressor-detachment model, we evaluated the interventions for their ability to help participants mentally detach from work during nonwork hours—a key factor in reducing stress and improving well-being. Key Findings: ✅ Both interventions significantly increased psychological detachment and reduced negative emotional states, such as stress and agitation. ✅ Bayesian analyses suggested that both intervention groups were equally effective in promoting detachment from work. ✅ Mindfulness-based strategies primarily reduced negative emotional activation, while cognitive-behavioral strategies promoted recovery through behavioral changes, such as increased engagement in leisure activities. ✅ Importantly, the effects of both interventions remained stable three months after the posttest. Overall, these findings emphasize the potential of both approaches, as well as the possibility of them complementing each other, in helping employees recover psychologically and improve their well-being. Read our full paper in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, led by Dorota Reis and co-authored with Alexander Hart, Elisabeth Prestele, Dirk Lehr, and Malte Friese, here: https://lnkd.in/egTQjbHs Open Access: https://lnkd.in/epqBwb8s #Research #Mindfulness #Detachment #Stress #Psychology #Wellbeing

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 15 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀. I've met dozens of high-performers who thought they needed to eliminate stress from their lives. Wrong approach. 𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵: Stress is the enemy. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Poor recovery is what kills performance. The highest performers I know don't avoid pressure. They recover from it faster than their competition. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀: Your nervous system has two modes: fight-or-flight (sympathetic) and rest-and-digest (parasympathetic). Most executives LIVE in sympathetic overdrive for 12+ hours straight. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀. Just like muscle adaptation, you need the stress stimulus. But the magic happens in recovery. Without intentional downtime, you're not building resilience. You're accumulating damage. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 15-𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Elite performers have strategies to flip the switch from stress to recovery. I’m not just talking about apps or retreats. Active protocols that shift physiology in real time. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲: 🫁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4 second inhales, hold for 7 seconds, long exhale for 8 seconds. This shifts you from sympathetic to parasympathetic in minutes. 🧘 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: A few minutes of targeted stretches signals your nervous system to downshift. ⚡ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀: The best operators I know don't wing their downtime. Schedule your recovery sessions, whether a sauna or something else, like you schedule board meetings. 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 + 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 = 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵. Every top performer has systems for this equation. Your HRV (heart rate variability) trends tells you if it's working. And when your nervous system is recovered, you make better decisions under pressure. The companies who understand this are building an unfair advantage. Their people have clarity in hour 12 that competitors lose in hour 3. What's your non-negotiable recovery practice? (The one you actually stick to, not the one you wish you did 😉)

In the face of an overwhelming volume of to-dos, turning to time management as a solution is a dead end. What do people who are really good at time management get? More work! Time management is important, but it's a productivity tool - not a solution to pressure. Instead, take aim at the three things that create volume pressure in the first place: tasks, decisions, and distractions. When you're faced with what feels like an overwhelming pile, consider the following: 1) What tasks have I taken on that are not linked to my major goals? Can they be deferred or deprioritized? 2) What decisions regularly create cognitive load for me? Are there any that can be replaced with policies or principles so I don't need to carefully weigh them each time? 3) How can I use structure to stop relying on will-power to reduce distractions? This can be as simple as a pomodoro timer, going on airplane mode for 30 mins, or physically isolating yourself in a conference room. If you pair time management with task, decision and distraction management you'll have a more sustainable approach over the long haul.

(Realistic) ways to optimize your sleep for better productivity (+ four more in graphic) → Prioritize sleep cycles Focus on quality over quantity. - Sleep in 90-minute cycles - Aim for 5-6 cycles per night - Wake up at the end of a cycle This approach helps you feel more refreshed and ready for the day. → Mind your diet before bed What you eat affects your sleep. - Avoid caffeine in the evening - Skip heavy meals close to bedtime - Opt for light, healthy snacks Better nutrition leads to better sleep quality. → Create a sleep-friendly environment Your bedroom should be a sleep sanctuary. - Keep it cool and dark - Minimize noise - Invest in a comfortable mattress A good environment makes a big difference. → Incorporate regular exercise Exercise boosts sleep quality. - Aim for 30 minutes of activity daily - Avoid intense workouts close to bedtime - Try relaxing activities like yoga Staying active helps you sleep better. → Manage stress effectively Stress is a sleep killer. - Practice mindfulness or meditation - Develop a pre-sleep routine - Limit screen time before bed Reducing stress leads to more restful sleep.