QUANTIFYING AND MITIGATING STRESS TO BE MORE POWERFULLY HUMAN

Result: It worked, and seven months later it is holding. My blood pressure readings still average 10-20 lower. I am down to one high-quality meditation a week, and handing the minutiae of running a business to AI took away a lot of what was competing for my time. My wife tells me I am more present more often, which is great for my marriage.

First written March 2026, updated October 2026.

The Problem

I swam competitively in high school. They teach you to go fast, not sustainably. Most ex-swimmers I talk to have a loose joint or a stress injury. Most jobs are the same: fast, not healthy.

Sales at most organizations is bad for your health. Your agenda for the day keeps changing until 30-60 minutes before. A “quick call” can easily turn into an hour. On bad days I could hit 135/85, which is stage 1 hypertension under the 2025 American Heart Association guideline (130-139 over 80-89). AHA: understanding blood pressure readings

Selling is one of many things I play at. If I want to enjoy the rest of life’s play, I cannot overdo it.

It also took me longer than it should have to see how connected my mind and body are. The fake and pious language around spiritual practice pissed me off enough to stay away. You do not need their language. Power comes from finding your own. Here I use the language I needed to hear back then: power.

Hypothesis: Train my attention the way a fast trail forces me to, cut the inputs competing for it, and the numbers on the blood pressure cuff will follow.

The Solution I Tried

Phase 1: Empty Head

Mountain biking showed me mind and body were connected: empty my head or hit trees. My mind cannot act up when I am rolling through a forest at speed. Even half-conscious, uncontrolled thought can kill. I chose to focus on neutral scenes in my head. Eventually I could clear my mind anytime and stamp down emotions.

Phase 2 and 3: Awareness and Discipline

To harness something, you have to understand it. The discipline that makes you stronger: follow a course like Tara Brach’s Mindfulness Daily all the way through, every day. By the end you should understand your emotional state, acknowledge all of yourself, and integrate. Power comes from integrating all of you, not silencing a part.

You should end up with a 10 minute core practice you can do anywhere:

  1. Settle through breathing.
  2. Refocus as thoughts come up.
  3. Once settled, watch the thoughts until they settle out, or until you are comfortable putting them back down.

A phrase that used to sound weird to me and makes sense now: benign gaze. You watch parts of yourself happen without taking sides.

If you prefer moving, do yoga. I asked a yoga teacher some “why” questions, and what I got out of it: yoga is a way into meditation.

Phase 4: Changing My Stress Levels

What I am doing:

  • Notifications: Every phone notification is off, always, except actual calls, texts, and Signal. I took away the notification permissions.
  • Quiet hours: Phone on vibrate during the day, everything muted from 2125 to 0730.
  • Practice: Meditating at least every other day. These days, one high-quality session a week holds the line.

Phase 5: Hand Off the Minutiae

The surprise came from work, not the cushion. Once AI took over most of the clerical side of running Vraid Systems, fewer things felt like they were competing for my time. Less to keep track of means less to be anxious about, and more of me shows up at home.

Did It Work?

Yes. What I have noticed about myself:

  • Blood pressure: Readings average 10-20 lower, still true in October 2026. I take them on the left and right upper arms after meditating, between meals. Fair warning on my own method: the usual home routine is to rest 5 minutes, then take 2 readings a minute apart, morning and night. Right after meditating is probably my best number of the day, not my average one.
  • Behavior: I am more often the person I want to be.
  • Outlook: I do not seem to focus on negatives as much.
  • Home: My wife tells me I am more present more often.

What I Am Not Doing

  • Easy or fake fixes like quitting my job, isolating, or taking drugs.
  • Giving up on an interesting, integrated life. Money, purpose, and mental interest still have to line up.
  • Giving up optionality. I want to live in certain places, see certain people, eat certain foods, and stay active at certain times.
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