The Gap: How to Rewire Your Brain and Master the Moment
A bad email.
A negative comment.
A sudden problem from a vendor.
What happens next determines everything.
Most of us react before we even realize it.
The problem isn’t the stimulus. The problem is what happens in the space between the
stimulus and our response.
That small gap is where incidents, miscommunication, and regret are born.
Understanding the Process
Stimulus → Thought → Emotion → Action.
That’s the mental chain running every minute of every day for every person regardless
of their title, or task.
- Something happens outside of our control; a stimulus. It could be a delay, a
disagreement, or a mistake. - This triggers a thought.
- “Idiot. How did they mess this up?”
- “I can’t believe I forgot something so easy!”
- “This is going to be my fault and I didn’t even cause it!”
- These thoughts trigger emotions.
- Anger
- Sadness
- Betrayal
- Frustration
Then, you guessed it, we react from our emotions. And reactions often create more problems than they solve. The goal of mental fitness training is to break that chain — or at least insert control into it.
The Power of the Gap
Between stimulus and thought lies a pause — the moment where choice lives. That’s the gap. It exists in every moment of every day.
And it’s trainable.
When we learn to extend that pause, we stop being controlled by frustration, anger, or
stress. Instead, we gain the ability to step back, see the situation clearly, and choose a better
response. This is neuroplasticity in action. Your brain literally rewires itself based on what you repeatedly practice. Every time you pause instead of reacting, you’re reinforcing a new neural pathway. Over time, that pathway becomes stronger and the pause becomes automatic.
Breathwork: Training the Pause
One of the fastest ways to build that pause is through breathwork. There are many different styles and variations, but an easy one is a simple deep inhale and exhale
- Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds – longer and deeper than a normal breath
- Exhale through the mouth for 4 seconds – like blowing out candles
- Repeat until your body slows down and your focus returns
Why It Matters
Incidents don’t happen because people forget what to do or decide to do it wrong.
Incidents happen because people don’t pause long enough to prevent the emotions from dictating the reactions.
Training to create the pause between stimulus and response is what separates a reaction that leads to an incident from a decision that keeps work safe, steady, and productive.
If you’d like to get on our waiting list, or just want more information, please contact us
here.
