3-step system reset you can do in < 1 minute
It’s easy to get caught up in the noise:
the endless pings, the looming deadlines, the pressure to do more.
For founders, creators, and high-performers, stress isn’t a visitor; it’s a roommate.
But the goal isn’t to eliminate stress.
The goal is to manage it. When you feel that familiar tightness in your chest or your thoughts start to race, you’re not broken; your nervous system is just doing its job.
The trick is to send it a new signal.
You don’t need an hour of meditation. You need 1 minute. Here is my go-to framework for managing stress in real-time.
The 1-Minute Reset
Step 1: Acknowledge (Don’t Fight) The moment you feel overwhelmed, stop. Name the feeling. “I’m feeling stressed/anxious/overwhelmed.” Don’t judge it or try to push it away. By simply acknowledging it, you take away its power. You are the observer, not the victim.
Step 2: Reframe (It’s Just Energy) That racing heart? That’s not just panic; it’s energy. Your body is preparing you for action. Your job is to channel it, not be consumed by it. Tell yourself: “This is energy I can use. I just need to aim it.”
Step 3: Shift (The Physiological Sigh) This is the direct tool. You are going to manually flip the switch on your nervous system.
Take a full, deep inhale through your nose.
When you think you’re full, take another sharp “top-off” inhale.
Then, let it all go with a long, slow, controlled exhale through your mouth.
Repeat - until you feel the shift.
This is the “physiological sigh,” and it’s the fastest way to signal safety to your brain. It works by off-loading excess carbon dioxide, which in turn activates your parasympathetic (”rest and digest”) nervous system.
That’s it. Acknowledge, Reframe, Shift.
Try it the next time you feel the pressure building.
All the best, Jason
P.S.
No sales pitch. Just a tool.
Hit reply and let me know:
What’s your go-to 1-minute stress reliever?
I read every response.