You cannot succeed if you cannot relax. To last the distance, one has to relax deeply at regular intervals. Traditionally in China, laborers who carried heavy loads on a pole used a rhythmic motion to alternate between carrying and resting. Research shows that athletes who perform the best are those who can concentrate deeply when performing and relax deeply in between. Observation suggests that over the long term, those who work under a lot of stress without learning how to relax deeply are the ones who suffer a breakdown.

• Relax regularly. A certain golfer relaxes deeply the moment he walks away from the shot. A doctor I know relaxes deeply for a couple of minutes when the patient walks out the door.

  For executives, try relaxing deeply every hour or so. In addition, there should be longer periods of relaxation every day. Yoga teachers recommend a one-hour session every day. Meditation teachers often recommend a one-hour session every morning and night

• Relax deeply. Deep is much better than long. Most people don’t understand what deep relaxation really means. It is worth practicing.

Choose the technique that suits your psychological profile, needs, and situation. The technique could be:

• Yoga postures, Pilates, Taiji
• Qigong, yoga relaxation and breathing
• Prayer or chanting
• Meditation using mantras, breathing, visualization, or Vipassana