- Regina Grogan is a tech exec who says high stress once impacted her mental health and relationships.
- Grogan has developed nine daily habits that help her reduce stress and increase productivity.
- Grogan's methods include cold plunges, meditation, and gratitude lists for better mood.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Regina Grogan, a Zillennial technology executive, AI founder, and former Google consultant based in Salt Lake City. It's been edited for length and clarity.
I worked in high-stress Silicon Valley for over 10 years, including as a Google consultant, before transitioning to being an associate security engineer at one of the largest banks.
Working in the tech industry is stressful — it has extreme volatility, which has led me to feel anxious and depressed in the past. I've seen tech startups shut down very suddenly with zero discussion. I've also worked in big companies undergoing layoffs and wondered, "Am I next?"
High stress also impacted my relationships. My work took up a lot of my personal time, so I wasn't able to build as many relationships as I wish I had.
Over the years, I've discovered hacks to mitigate stress, boost my mood, and increase productivity. These are my favorites.
1. Cold plunge
I take a 15 to 20-minute ice bath or cold shower every morning. The first five minutes are awful and shocking. Then I acclimate to it, and it actually feels really good.
During the plunge, I feel extremely alert, the world looks brighter, and when I emerge, everything feels like a new beginning.
2. Meditation
I was very addicted to my digital devices until I noticed it was severely affecting my mental clarity and focus. Now I try to stay off my phone as much as possible in the morning, and instead, meditate for 25 minutes.
Ever since I made the switch, my mind has become quieter and I feel reset from the attention obsession that my digital devices create.
3. Increase my bodily awareness
I've realized I have to create balance in life by tuning into my body and intuition for guidance. I now listen more to my instincts.
One time, I was working on a partnership and felt physically uneasy while reviewing the terms. Looking back, I realize I was sensing a subconscious resistance in my body about this partnership, which ended up going south.
4. Take a walk without my phone
I often use my phone as an anxiety and comfort tool. The only way I've had luck mitigating this anxiety is by leaving my phone at home, coming back, and seeing that nothing horrible has happened.
5. Think about what I can and can't control
Let's say a vendor messes up a project, or the intern accidentally gets spam-attacked and is freaked out. Instead of panicking, I use the psychological strategy of the "circle of control," asking myself, "What can I control in this stressful situation?"
If the answer is nothing, I have to let it go.
6. Ask myself, "How can I help others today?"
Doing small acts of kindness helps me take the focus off of myself and redirect my energy toward helping others. This can be helping someone at work, volunteering, or simply letting someone in front of me in traffic.
At the end of the day, I can say, "Today didn't go super well, but I did something in my control to improve things."
7. Make a list of what I'm grateful for
I live a privileged life, and it's easy to forget how hard life is for many other people. In my case, I used to have depression. I've seen bad days, but it's easier to forget when I make a gratitude list.
When I zoom out, I can see how lucky I am and that I have a lot to be thankful for.
8. Epsom salt bath
Every evening, around 9 p.m., I take a hot Epsom salt bath. Epsom salt regulates the nervous system and also staves off loneliness — or so they found in some studies.
I do this as a "day ender" to help me officially close out the day. Otherwise, I'll keep working into the night.
9. Write down my worries and wait to review them
Before I go to sleep at 10 p.m., I write down everything I'm worrying about as a "brain dump." I put it in a box and revisit it a week later to see how many of them came to pass.
Almost none of them do. Over time, I've gained more confidence and calmness.
Ever since I started using these hacks, I've been in a great mood and more productive than ever
My colleagues always talk about my energy and good mood. These hacks allow me to be creative and productive at work, even in a stressful environment.
If you work in Big Tech and have productivity hacks you'd like to share, please email Tess Martinelli at [email protected].