“Watch the stars in their course and imagine yourself running alongside them. Think constantly on the changes of the elements into each other, for such thoughts wash away the dust of earthly life.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations.

An alternative title to this post could be ‘Time to think…about getting over yourself’. When our emotional thinking blows things out of proportion, a handy and quick way to re-introduce perspective is to make a stark comparison of the current ‘challenge’ with something else of greater magnitude. Taking a few moments to observe life around you can provide that little distraction (detour, deviation, deferment even) from your pressing thoughts and relax for a moment the survival-thinking centres in your always-on brain.

Then see your challenge in a new light…how big is it, how current, who else is involved and how likely is it to turn out as badly as you think it will? A good executive coach will use this oppositional logic technique to bring about perspective, but you can do it for yourself right now.