The debate on generative AI, from supporters and detractors, is filled with breathless urgency and crisis deadlines. Both are constructed by people, and don’t exist in of themselves. Anthropic and Open AI, as they race to their IPOs, feed us stories of emergency, great leaps forward, and danger around each corner of the buildings they have built. That’s not so surprising as a strategy to build value. But I also see and hear it mirrored by advocates in AI governance and safety, activists against data centers, and people genuinely confused about AI adoption and trying to stay anchored in their values, 

Tema Okun’s scholarship reminds us that forcing a culture of constant urgency, where really it doesn’t exist, is an exercise in wielding power. It’s designed to make you feel panicked. A panicked person feels scarcity, and makes decisions from a place of fear. I do that. When my heart races, and my anxiety spikes, it’s hard to remember that fast decisions are often not good ones. So how do we give ourselves space to think more slowly and carefully? How do we not replicate the dynamic being thrown at us?

Here are some things I try to do to steady myself:

• First I try to notice my panic and fear. I listen to my body, my heartrate. 
• Then I try to breathe more slowly. I look up from my phone or computer (because scrolling doesn’t help). I look out the window. I look at my dog. I step outside. Oh look, it’s raining. 
• I look at time in my mind’s eye and I see it as a long, winding path through a valley. I can’t see the end of the valley.

When I’ve calmed down, I think about what actions I want to take:

• What can I do that will expand the options in front of me? 
• What can I do to change the timeframe being pushed on me? What pieces are real, and which aren’t?
• What imperfect, messy next steps can I take to experiment with?

How do you steady yourself? Tell me in the comments!

And if you’d like to learn more about how I use these practices in my coaching and consulting work, get in touch.