The most important guidance I give senior executives who are exhausted: STOP.

You don't have to do it all. You don't have to do it all now. You don't have to do anything, actually.

It's amazing what happens when you stop using "have to" in your vocabulary and in your thinking.

My friend Magdalena Ponurska uses "get to," which super helpful and calls upon ability to be grateful.

I like "want to."

• If you want to work late, great.

• If you want to accelerate timelines, fantastic.

• If you want to revise the presentation again, awesome.

But you don't have to.

Every time I say this to a client, I literally see their shoulders relax. They take a breath (a real breath). And their eyes brighten.

They don't become rested. The weight on their shoulders hasn't gone away. But they do start to see a glimmer of what is possible when you take back control.

They discover hope again.