Alright, picture this: It’s 3 a.m., and I’m sitting in my kitchen, wearing my signature black shirt and shorts, but instead of a microphone in my hand, I’ve got a half-eaten slice of cold pizza. The world is quiet except for the ticking clock and the distant sound of my dog snoring like a freight train.
Stress just showed up like an uninvited guest at my party, and I’m thinking, “Okay, Tony, what now?” So I do what any self-respecting peak performance coach would do—I start talking to myself. Out loud. In full-on motivational mode. “You’ve handled worse than this. Remember when you ran 15 miles after getting evicted? This is just a pizza slice and some deadlines.”
Then, I stand up, because emotion is created by motion, right? I do a little dance—yes, a dance—in the kitchen. I’m flailing my arms, doing a weird shuffle, maybe even a moonwalk attempt that looks more like a stumble. My dog wakes up, gives me the “Are you okay, human?” look, then goes back to snoring.
By the time I’m done, my heart rate is up, my mood’s shifted, and the stress? It’s still there, but now it’s confused. Like, “Wait, is this guy serious or just crazy?”
That’s how I handle stress—by turning it into a ridiculous dance party for one. Because if you can laugh at yourself, you can own any challenge. And hey, if you ever see me dancing in the kitchen, just know I’m winning the battle against stress... one awkward move at a time.
Raise your standards to create long-lasting changes in yourself
Read Tony's bookMastering Stress: How to Turn Pressure into Power
Stress. It’s that relentless companion that shows up uninvited, whether you’re leading a company, raising a family, or just trying to get through the day. I’ve been there—facing moments when the weight of the world felt like it was crushing me. But here’s the truth: stress doesn’t have to break you. It can be the fuel that ignites your greatest breakthroughs.
Let me share some stories and strategies that have transformed stress from a silent enemy into a powerful ally—for me, for the people I’ve coached, and for friends who’ve faced their own battles.
