3-word mantra to calm you down instantly
also, this exercise will make you smarter
Feeling stressed at work? Maybe it’s your supplier bailing at the last minute, your website crashing during peak traffic, or your team being a no-show for the third time today. When chaos hits, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But here’s a thought: if EMTs can stay calm while saving lives - literally - maybe we can learn a thing or two from them.
On that note, let’s celebrate you making it to the weekend 🥂
But before I share the mantra, here’s a lil task for you:
📌 Treat yourself to something small but meaningful – your favorite snack, a cozy playlist, or even a 10-minute stroll outside
Now, let’s start…
About the mantra
Ryan Fields-Spack, a first responder, shared some golden advice in a recent Business Insider interview. He’s faced countless high-stakes situations, and his mantra for handling stress is so simple yet effective that it’s stuck with me: "First, just breathe."
Now, before you brush it off as another “deep breaths” reminder, hear me out. These three little words are packed with actionable steps:
First: Pay attention to your fists. When you’re stressed, you probably clench them without even realizing it. Open your hands and give them a shake.
Just: Check your jaw. Is it tight? Loosen it up and move it around a bit.
Breathe: Finally, take slow, deliberate breaths. Fill your lungs completely, then let it out in a long, slow exhale. That extra-long out-breath helps lower your heart rate and clear out excess carbon dioxide, which is what makes you feel jittery when stressed.
It’s like a reset button for your body. These three simple steps can instantly calm you down and help you regain focus when adrenaline takes over.
And now the exercise that makes you smarter
Let me share a personal story. My dad went through a substantial cognitive decline in his later years. "Substantial" might even be an understatement. He’d sometimes recognize me as someone familiar but couldn’t quite place who I was. His speech became limited to simple responses like “no” and “all right.” He lost control over basic functions, and near the end, even swallowing became difficult.
But some things stuck. He still responded to music—it seemed to light up something in him. Yet, for the most part, he was “gone.” That’s the word he used, back when he could still describe the fear of what was happening to him. Losing who he was - mentally and emotionally was his greatest fear, far more than dying early.
I think about him whenever I hear about anti-aging startups. Big names like Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel, and the Google co-founders are pouring millions into longevity research. They’re all chasing ways to help people live longer.
But here’s the thing: living longer isn’t just about adding years to your life. It’s also about the quality of those years. Lifespan matters, but so does health span (how long you stay healthy) and brain span (how long your mind stays sharp). Because what’s the point of living longer if your brain isn’t along for the ride?
Here’s the kicker: You don’t need millions or futuristic tech to start improving your brain span. Recent research published in NeuroImage: Clinical found that six months of regular resistance training - lifting weights or even bodyweight exercises can significantly slow cognitive decline. Not only that, but it can also protect parts of the brain, like the hippocampus, which is crucial for memory and learning. And the benefits last for up to a year after the exercise program ends.
In non-researcher terms? Lifting weights doesn’t just make you stronger; it keeps your brain healthy and flexible. Neurologists call this “hippocampal plasticity,” which is a fancy way of saying your brain becomes better at adapting and learning.
And it gets cooler. Another study found that when your muscles contract during exercise, they release molecules called myokines. These little guys speed up neuron growth - four times faster than normal. Every rep you do at the gym is not just strengthening your body but literally helping your brain grow new cells.
If I’d known this when my dad was struggling, I would’ve done everything to get him started on resistance training. I’m pretty sure he’d have jumped at the chance if someone had explained it to him.
Here’s where you come in. Sure, billionaires are chasing longevity with cutting-edge, unproven treatments. But as an entrepreneur or a fitness enthusiast, you have an opportunity to make a difference now. Helping people understand the power of resistance training, not just for their muscles but for their minds, could change lives.
Anyway, that’s it for today. Let’s meet again next week👋
