5 Ways to Cope with the Highly Driven, Fast-Paced Life in Silicon Valley

Life in Silicon Valley can be fast and even frenzied. High pressure jobs and high expectations of yourself can drive you to work faster and harder to achieve your goals.

And while some of this pressure can spur creativity and make you enjoy a wild ride, too much of it wreaks havoc with your stress response system – and with your personal life (if you still have one).

Here are five ways of coping with the highly driven, fast-paced life in Silicon Valley.

Encounters with nature

Even a short time spent in a natural environment can reduce your high stress response considerably.

• Forests. In Japan, going for a hike in the woods is called a ‘forest bath.’  The beneficial health effects have been the subject of scientific studies. Wooded areas are easily accessible in Silicon Valley. Integrate just ten minutes of immersion in a  ‘forest bath’ into your daily routine.

• Fire. Watching an open fire has similar effects to watching flowing water and waves, including the generation of alpha and delta waves.

• Water. There is a lot of water close to Silicon Valley. Why not drive over to the Pacific Coast, or spend a weekend in Big Sur? Watching the ocean waves or running water in a creek closer to home can make your brain produce alpha waves (or even delta waves), a dream-like altered state which switches on the relaxation response and also generates a lot of new ideas. If you can’t make the time, at least jump into the hot tub and watch the stars above you while relaxing your body.

• Living plants. If you really can’t make the time, grow something in a pot. Gardening, even on this very small scale, helps to reduce anxiety and caring for a living being, even if it is only a flower.

• Pets. If you can find more time, and if you want bigger effects, care for a pet. You need to consider carefully if your lifestyle allows this kind of commitment , but there are many different kinds of pets with a wide range of care needs. Just as with a pot plant, caring for a pet helps to calm you down, and focus you in the present moment as well as on a living being that depends on you.

Speed up and slow down

Deliberately introduce ‘slow movement’ into your fast paced life.

Physical slow movement

Yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi all have become Bay Area Traditions – practices designed to connect you with your body, slow down your breath, and put your mind into a state of flow.

• Slow sounds and music. The tempo and rhythm of a song speed up or slow down your heartbeat and affect your metabolism. White or brown noise is so soothing to the mind that it is actually used as a sleeping aid. The ultimate aural tool is silence, connecting you to the natural sounds of the world around you.

• Slow breath. Slow breathing is an integral part of slow movement as in Yoga and Tai Chi,  and it is also at the core of mindfulness and meditation practices. Mindfulness is a modern, Westernized version of the ancient practice of Buddhist meditation. Both are widely available as group sessions and individual sessions in Silicon valley.

Make a people connection

Many studies have shown that the biggest factor in mental health are personal relationships. Not with your colleagues at work, although positive interactions in the workplace also help cope with a stressful lifestyle, but long lasting core relationships with partners, children, close friends and family.

Spend time with the people you love. Is there enough love in Silicon Valley? Is there enough focus and time on love?

Stay in touch with your dreams

Can you remember the original dream that brought you to Silicon Valley? What has happened to that dream? What is your dream now? Can you create a new dream?

Daydreaming is a vital function of the human brain. It generates those alpha and delta waves, and it gets you into the flow of creativity, the most effective counterbalance to stress.

Deal with your fear

The fast paced life in Silicon Valley is sometimes also connected with fear of failure. If you stand still, if you take time to breathe, you might not win the race.

But that is actually not true. Many of the methods described here will generate ideas and creative solutions. And: this is your life.

Silicon Valley doesn’t define you. You cannot fail at life. It will simply take a different direction. If you are struggling with fear of failure, and unable to slow down or relax, a professional counselor can help you to work it out.

Finding a therapist that you connect with is important to your success in counseling. Please, schedule a free 20 minute phone consultation with me to discuss how therapy can help by calling 408-213-8148 or by scheduling online at www.GingerMartirePhD.com.