I’ve been visiting an Infrared Sauna at Glow Sauna Studios often over the last few years. Unlike a traditional sauna, the Infrared Lights essentially cook you from the inside…It’s HOT. Typically, the temperature in my cabin is 165-170 degrees.

Like most people, the heat starts getting to me if I’m in there long enough. The same thing is true in life. Once the adversity and stress start to hit, we often hit a panic mode and think “I can’t handle this, It’s too much.”

Yesterday during one of those moments of thinking I was overheating, I tried something different. I applied a cool rag to my temples and the back of my neck and instantly it felt like my entire body cooled down.

Here I was thinking my entire body was burning and with a small precise action, changed from a panic mode to a sense of calm. We have that same opportunity in life. Life is hot, it’s hectic, and it’s stressful. Too many of us get in an overwhelming situation and develop a “flee the heat” mentality.

What happens if we figured out what small precise action we could take to reset and calm ourselves? In the sauna, staying in the extra time allowed me to get maximum benefits. In our jobs, if we can calm ourselves and remain productive longer, we get better results.

It doesn’t matter what your proverbial “cool towel” is, it’s just important that you have one. Perhaps you take 5 minutes to close your eyes and just breathe. For some, maybe you look at your favorite family photos as a reminder of why you put in the hours and work that you do.

Find a “cool towel” that works for you. Something precise in its ability to calm you, something that doesn’t take much effort but gives you an immediate reset. When you do so, you’ll be able to stand in the fire when everyone else is quitting. You’ll be able to laugh at the stress and adversity and see your project through to victory.