It’s 15 minutes before a high-stakes meeting. I’m sitting in my car stuck at the railway crossing. The barrier is down. I feel nervous. My pulse is racing, my breathing turns shallow, and my mind creates worst-case scenarios.
By the time I walk into the room, I’m not in a state to lead, negotiate, or evaluate risk. I don’t think clearly; I have trouble concentrating, and I am vulnerable to making mistakes. I’m in fight-or-flight mode.
In the last issue, we talked about recognizing your nervous system’s state. But what do you do when you catch yourself dysregulated right before a critical moment?
You don’t try to “think positively.” When your amygdala takes over, logic gets locked out. You cannot think your way out of a state you felt your way into. You need a physical backdoor into your nervous system. Here’s what to do.
The 60-second nervous system reset
Our hands have one of the highest densities of nerve endings in the entire body. In the brain’s sensory cortex, our hands occupy a massive amount of neural space.
Sitting in my car at that train crossing, I used a simple physical practice: I brought my hands together and began rubbing my palms very slowly, with firm, deliberate pressure.
Here is how to use this tool whenever you feel a stress spike before a meeting, pitch, or difficult conversation:
Catch the spike: recognize that your body has shifted into fight-or-flight (tight jaw, shallow breath, racing thoughts)
Press and rub: bring your palms together. Start rubbing them slowly with firm, intentional pressure.
Anchor your awareness: shift 100% of your attention to the sensory input. Feel the friction, the rising heat, and the texture of your skin.
Doing this for 60 seconds forces your brain to pull attention away from abstract anxiety (“what if this goes wrong?”) and direct it to physical reality (“what am I feeling right now?”).
It sends a direct signal of safety to your nervous system, which restores calm, focus, and clear thinking.
The best part about this tool? It’s practically invisible. You can do it in your car, in an elevator, or even under the table during a negotiation without anyone noticing.
When you know how your biology works, you can use the physical shortcuts built into your body. No need to meditate for 30 minutes to regain control.
Try this next time you feel the heat rising before a high-stakes decision.
What’s your current go-to trick when stress hits right before a big meeting?
Hit reply and let me know. I read every email.
Best,
Wojciech
P.S. If you know another founder who’s dealing with high-stress moments right now, feel free to forward this issue to them.
P.P.S. Missed the last issue on how to recognize your nervous system’s state? You can read it here.