Most leaders think resilience comes from pushing harder.
Work longer. Solve more problems. Stay productive. Keep moving.
But what if resilience is built in quieter ways?
What if it starts with a walk outside, a cup of tea, five minutes of breathing, or simply looking up at the sky?
In a recent conversation on The Route to Success podcast, consultant and operations leader Patrice Brown shared a perspective that every leader needs to hear. Hope is not something you finally reach once life becomes easier. Hope is something you practice daily.
That mindset matters because leaders today are exhausted.
According to the American Institute of Stress, 83% of U.S. workers report suffering from work-related stress. Burnout costs businesses billions each year through turnover, disengagement, absenteeism, and reduced productivity. Leaders are carrying operational pressure, emotional fatigue, uncertainty about the future, and the constant expectation to remain composed while supporting everyone else.
Patrice’s message cuts through that noise with something surprisingly simple.
Slow down long enough to notice joy.
That does not mean ignoring problems. It means creating enough emotional space to keep functioning well while solving them.
Joy Is a Leadership Skill
Patrice shared a story about being stressed in high school and stepping outside to see a sunset filled with pinks and purples stretching across the sky. She stopped and watched it for ten minutes. That moment changed how she handled stress.
The lesson was simple.
Life is bigger than the problem in front of you.
That mindset became a daily practice. Watching the sky. Noticing birds. Taking walks. Slowing down enough to recognize beauty instead of staying trapped inside worry.
Leaders often wait for joy to arrive after success.
After the promotion.
After the funding.
After the launch.
After the crisis ends.
But joy works better as fuel than as a reward.
Research from the University of California Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center shows that moments of awe, gratitude, and mindfulness reduce stress hormones, improve emotional regulation, and strengthen resilience. Even brief moments outdoors can lower cortisol levels and improve mood.
The practical takeaway is this.
Small moments matter more than you think.
5 Immediate Ways to Reset During a Difficult Day
- Step Outside for Five Minutes
Patrice talked about the calming effect of nature and sunlight. Even brief exposure to natural light can improve mood, attention span, and emotional regulation.
Tool to try:
• Walk outside without your phone
• Look at the sky
• Notice colors, sounds, wind, trees, or movement
• Focus only on what you can observe
This interrupts stress spirals and grounds your nervous system.
- Create a Tea or Coffee Ritual
Patrice described tea as one of her strongest reset tools. Different teas for different moods. Mint tea for calm. Black tea for focus.
The beverage itself is only part of the benefit.
Ritual creates pause.
Tool to try:
• Boil water slowly
• Sit while drinking
• Avoid multitasking
• Use the time to breathe before the next meeting
Even a 10-minute reset can improve decision-making quality.
- Practice Box Breathing
Breath work is one of the fastest ways to reduce stress physically.
Patrice described using intentional breathing to reset her nervous system during overwhelming moments.
Try this:
• Inhale for 4 seconds
• Hold for 4 seconds
• Exhale for 4 seconds
• Hold for 4 seconds
• Repeat 4 times
This lowers heart rate and creates calm quickly.
Navy SEALs and emergency responders use similar breathing techniques because they work under pressure.
- Use Creativity to Interrupt Stress
Patrice colors when she feels overwhelmed. She described how creativity shifts her thinking and often helps her return with fresh ideas and clearer solutions.
Creative activities activate different areas of the brain and reduce mental fatigue.
Practical options:
• Coloring books
• Cooking
• Gardening
• Crochet
• Sketching
• Music
• Journaling
The goal is not productivity.
The goal is restoration.
- Stop Treating Yourself Like a Machine
One of the strongest themes in the conversation was this:
People are human before they are employees, managers, founders, or executives.
Many workplaces still expect people to “leave their baggage at the door.”
That is unrealistic.
Leaders who recognize emotional strain early build healthier teams.
Patrice shared an example of a team member recognizing she was overwhelmed and giving her space to regroup before a meeting. That moment mattered because it acknowledged humanity first.
Leadership tool to try:
Replace:
“How was your weekend?”
With:
“What’s something bringing you joy lately?”
“What’s taking a lot of energy right now?”
“What can I help remove from your plate?”
Questions create connection.
Connection builds trust.
Trust strengthens teams.
Why Leaders Must Prioritize Their Own Well-Being
One of the most important points Patrice made was about burnout.
She described seeing talented, mission-driven people with incredible ideas burn out because they never learned to care for themselves first.
This is common in nonprofits, healthcare, education, entrepreneurship, and leadership roles where people feel deeply responsible for others.
But exhausted leaders make reactive decisions.
Exhausted leaders struggle with patience, communication, and clarity.
Exhausted leaders stop noticing joy altogether.
The World Health Organization classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon linked to chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.
Taking care of yourself is not selfish.
It is operationally necessary.
Patrice said it clearly:
“If you take care of yourself as a leader, that then flows to your team.”
That is leadership.
Hope Requires Practice
One of the most powerful moments in the conversation centered around faith and surrender.
Patrice explained that faith does not mean avoiding work. It means trusting while continuing to move forward.
That balance matters.
You still show up.
You still do the work.
You still prepare, lead, solve problems, and make decisions.
But you stop believing you must carry the entire world alone.
That shift changes everything.
Hope is not passive.
Hope is practiced.
Every walk outside.
Every deep breath.
Every moment of laughter.
Every honest conversation.
Every pause before reacting.
Every small act of care.
Those moments build resilience long before a crisis arrives.
And sometimes the most productive thing a leader can do is stop for five minutes, look at the sky, and remember there is still beauty happening around them.