35,000 decisions a day...

The corporate world today feels like it's spinning faster and faster, leaving many of us feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. This isn't just a feeling; it's a physiological reality.

Humans were not designed to process the sheer volume of information and make the number of decisions we face daily. The average adult makes an estimated 35,000 decisions a day, and in a corporate setting, this number is often higher and more taxing. From small choices about which email to answer first to major strategic decisions, this constant cognitive load is a primary contributor to the widespread burnout we see today.

While there's no precise, scientifically-backed number for the number of decisions our ancestors made, researchers and historians have painted a clear picture of a different kind of cognitive load. In pre-industrial societies, particularly for hunter-gatherers, the vast majority of daily decisions were guided by deeply ingrained habits and a limited set of choices directly related to survival. Questions like "What should I eat for breakfast?" were not a choice between a thousand cereal brands, a smoothie, or a bagel; it was a decision based on the available food from the previous day's foraging. The rhythm of life was dictated by the seasons, the sun, and the immediate environment, not by a barrage of notifications, emails, and competing demands from a digital world. Their decisions were critical—a bad choice could mean starvation or danger—but the sheer volume and variety of choices were incomparably smaller and more focused, allowing for a more regulated and less overstimulated nervous system.

This relentless pace pushes our nervous systems into a constant state of alert, making it difficult to find balance and truly switch off. We're consistently running on an empty tank, leading to exhaustion, anxiety, and a feeling of being completely drained. It's a cycle that can be incredibly difficult to break without the right tools and strategies.

A key driver of this modern burnout is the constant presence of our smartphones, which are fundamentally rewiring our brains. Our phones are designed to be addictive, leveraging a "variable reward system" similar to a slot machine. The unpredictable rewards of a new notification, a like, or a message trigger a small hit of dopamine, encouraging us to keep checking and scrolling. This constant stream of stimulation and distraction trains our brains for short bursts of attention, leading to a diminished ability to engage in deep, sustained focus. Even the mere presence of a smartphone, regardless of whether it's on or off, has been shown to reduce cognitive capacity and working memory, as a portion of our brain's resources is always on alert, waiting for a potential distraction. This perpetual state of low-level stress and fragmented attention prevents our nervous systems from ever truly resting.

Given my experience both inside and outside of in the corporate world, I've created a free resource.

How I Heal, is a blueprint for navigating this demanding environment and healing from the inside out. It's a collection of the personal practices and techniques I've used to find balance, reduce stress, and restore my energy.

You don't have to keep pushing through the exhaustion. Download and use this guide to help you regulate your nervous system and start your journey toward healing. Find your copy at https://www.breatheinsound.com/howihealebook.