Unlock Workday Calm Through Intuition

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Some days, work starts at a sprint: meetings stack up, emails multiply, and every task claims to be urgent. Many professionals feel the strain; introverts often pay a higher toll—their energy fades, priorities blur, and the best ideas get buried. I’ve been there. So I’m back with Nil Demircubuk, Ph.D., author of Down to Earth: Demystify Intuition to Upgrade Your Life, to talk about how quiet professionals can find more calm in a noisy workday.

In Part 1, we focused on “priming,” setting up your brain and body for the day ahead. In this second conversation, we zoom in on tools you can use in the messy middle of your workday: discreet resets and low-key boundary tools that help you regain calm, protect focus, and make progress without being “on”—a big plus for introverts.

NA: I can relate to having a mind that’s “always on.” For knowledge workers, especially introverts, what early overload signals do you watch for at work, and how do they affect judgment and decisions?

ND: We sometimes carry tension throughout the day without even realizing it. Try checking in with your body regularly, like when you get up for coffee. Close your eyes and just breathe for a few moments, letting your thoughts go. Scan your body for any tightness and notice it. Even that short break can help calm your mind and emotions and bring more clarity.

NA: As someone who carries that familiar tension, I appreciate your reminder to focus on the breath, which helps release that tension. When overload hits midday, what are two or three other in-the-moment resets that are discreet enough to use in a meeting or between notifications?

ND: Feel your feet on the floor. You can press them down or move them around. Alternatively, imagine a favorite relaxing activity. Bring your senses into that scene. For example, if you’re imagining riding your bike, feel the breeze on your face. Moving through each sense, one by one, can anchor you more deeply into that imagined experience, offering a refreshing break.

NA: So, when I return my attention to my desk, with email, texts, and pings, it’s after a mini-vacation for my brain. Now, let’s turn back to the experience of my fellow introverts. What are low-key boundary lines we can use to protect our focus without sounding unhelpful or “difficult”? A sample script or two could help.

ND: I would recommend a quick priming step first, building on what we discussed in our first interview. You can imagine being in a relaxing place, or think of something or someone you love for a few moments. Then ask your intuition what would benefit everyone involved.

Capture the first thing that comes up and run it through the filter of your logic. If relevant and possible, check with other colleagues before acting. Depending on your experience with the person making the request and the situation, it can be something simple, such as “I would like to give this the attention it deserves. Can we discuss it later?” or “I can see how important this is for you and I would love to help. Could you give me some time to see how I can shift some other priorities first?”

NA: I find those scripts a wonderful starting point that beats a blank mind. What’s a micro-step that turns stuck into started, a five-minute action anyone can take?

ND: You can move—go for a short walk and take your mind away from the issue by bringing your attention to the muscles that help you move. Alternatively, look at something interesting and just observe it. Cognitive science research (Gilhooly 2016) shows that stepping away from a complex problem can initiate nonconscious processing, activate intuition, and lead to creative insights or solutions.

NA: I find when I’m not mindful enough to step away from the trap of my always-on introvert mind, I fall into over-planning, perfectionism, and obsessive self-critique. What suggestions do you have for reframing those?

ND: When we feel stressed, it is easy to spiral into more tension, finding something wrong with every potential relaxation method. This is when we need to tell ourselves to just pick the easiest one and try it for a few moments. After those few moments, we might feel a bit less stressed and a bit more primed or relaxed. We can then ask our intuition what the next step might be to take better care of ourselves, then as usual, run this insight through the filter of our logic.

NA: I like your idea to pick an easy option. In a guided meditation or yoga class, for example, when someone asks me to inhale to the count of three, I can actually get more tense if my natural pace doesn’t match theirs; then I’m judging myself instead of relaxing. Where should readers start today if they want to try one reset and boundary line, nothing fancy, just a realistic first step?

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ND: Focusing on the breath, at your own pace, is often the easiest approach. Place one or both hands on your belly and bring your full attention to the rhythm of your breath and how your hands move with it. Your breathing will naturally deepen and your mind will begin to calm. For added fun, imagine breathing in a healing mist of a beautiful color. After a few moments, or longer if possible—you can return to the problem or challenge at hand.

NA: I love that you take us back to the senses, as I imagine inhaling and even tasting the mist of a blue-green ocean breeze. That transports me to a place of calm and creativity. Thank you for taking me and my readers there.

I can’t wait for our next conversation, in which we’ll go more into the career realm, exploring the art of networking using intuition—quieting inner noise to make genuine connections. We’ll look at how inner wisdom helps us build relationships, with special angles for introverts.