Hustle culture appears to be back for good, if the word of various high-achievers is anything to go by. The temporary slowdown during the pandemic, which emphasized well-being and flexible scheduling, now feels like a fleeting mirage. These days, many startup employees are expected to pull '9-9-6' shifts, meaning 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week, and managers often boast about surviving on just four hours of sleep.
With a culture that rewards sleeping under your desk currently ascendant, many of us feel pressured to keep pace with those moving at a single speed: full throttle. It is difficult when there are few role models who excel at incremental retreat. As one workplace consultant noted, we are never taught how to pace ourselves; there are no classes for that.
However, elite athletes and endurance experts understand that operating at 110% without respite often leads to a crash that can take months or years to overcome. It is far healthier, and smarter in the long run, to manage your energy deliberately, noticing when you are near the edge of burnout and decelerating before you fall in.
The book The Art of Pacing explores how to pull back thoughtfully and incrementally at work, online, and in community service. Pacing yourself does not mean disengaging from what you care about; it is quite the opposite. By establishing a more sustainable rhythm, you can continue making fulfilling contributions to your community and the planet for a lifetime. Here are everyday strategies to assist you in doing that.
1. Try narrative streamlining
To establish an engaged yet comfortable pace, it helps to understand exactly where you are and where you intend to go. By locating the narrative thread running through your life, you can gain a clearer sense of what brings you value and what your highest goals are. Professor Ben Rogers of Boston College notes that one primary way we find meaning in our lives is through the stories we tell ourselves and others.
Rogers has designed a 'restorying' exercise to facilitate this. Using a sequence of seven questions based on the classic 'hero’s journey' structure, the exercise guides you to reflect on your significant goals, the obstacles you have faced, and the legacy you wish to leave. Research shows that those who completed this exercise perceived their lives as more meaningful. Restorying helps you focus intently on purposeful goals, making daily tasks feel energizing rather than exhausting, while freeing up time by pruning commitments that do not align with your core values.
2. Practice modulation
This science-backed breathing practice shifts your body into a serene, focused state. Modulation, or 'resonance frequency breathing,' involves breathing at a pace unique to you—the speed at which your heart rate accelerates most as you inhale and slows down most as you exhale. This creates pronounced heart rate variability, promoting a more resilient nervous system.
To begin, determine your resonance pace using apps like Elite HRV or by following paced breathing videos on YouTube. Most people find their ideal pace is between four and six breaths per minute. Once identified, breathe in time with a track for a few minutes daily or when feeling anxious. You will eventually internalize this rhythm. Psychiatrist and researcher Joseph Arpaia, who teaches this to overwhelmed clients, notes that it calms the nervous system rapidly, often more effectively than sedation, and primes you to make thoughtful, long-term decisions.
3. Manage your energy
Time management, such as blocking out every hour of the day, is popular but highly vulnerable to collapse. One unexpected event can ruin an entire schedule, leading to frustration. Energy management, favored by top athletes, is far more flexible. It involves structuring your day around your natural peaks and lulls.
Middle-distance runner Ajee Wilson schedules her most intense workouts during her peak energy window, from mid-morning to noon, followed by a long nap. You should identify your own high-energy windows—whether morning, afternoon, or night—and schedule your most demanding tasks during those times. When you hit a natural lull, perform less demanding work, such as replying to messages or filling out forms. By working with your natural fluctuations instead of against them, you progress without feeling like you are pushing a truck uphill.
4. Light 'brief candles'
We often assume that 'generativity'—the social contribution that improves well-being—requires massive infusions of time. However, 'brief candles,' which are moments of profound encounter lasting only minutes, can be just as generative. Because their impact outlasts the time taken, they allow you to contribute significantly without exhausting your reserves.
These may be dramatic interventions or, more commonly, moments of total attention: offering crucial encouragement to a mentee or timely advice that changes someone's trajectory. These moments compound over time. Lighting brief candles requires mindful listening and responsiveness. Afterward, reflect on the experience; as psychologist Rick Hanson suggests, 'taking in the good' primes you to create more such moments in the future.
5. Ask yourself, 'What’s the wise choice here?'
When starting to pace more deliberately, I initially thought of creating complex, long-term plans. However, I learned that when overwhelmed by daily demands, these long-term plans recede. Instead, I now ask a simple question taught by coach and sports psychologist Amy Baltzell: 'What’s the wise choice here?'
This is perfect for overloaded moments as it forces you to identify what you realistically need in that instant and how best to address it. Whether you need a full day off after a crisis or a quick consultation with a boss, identifying the wise choice and acting on it creates a responsive form of pacing. Carrying out one wise choice naturally leads to the next, helping you maintain momentum without burnout.
