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Working at a high-performance, growth-oriented company often means intense pressure — expectations are high, employees thrive on challenges, and there’s a constant drive to achieve more. As a result, many CEOs and company leaders are looking for ways to support their teams and prevent burnout. Mental health has become a growing concern in organizations aiming for excellence.
Gratitude starts here: Nonprofit veteran Sherece West-Scantlebury shares a few, small practical ways to begin building a gratitude habit.
► Start or end your day with one thing you’re thankful for — even something simple like waking up or getting through the day.
► Tie it to a routine, like brushing your teeth or making tea, and name something good in that moment.
► Say it out loud — text a friend or just tell yourself, “That made me smile.”
► And even on hard days, ask: “What’s still good right now?” That question can be a powerful reset.
Just like our bodies, our minds need rest to perform at their best. Without time to recharge, focus fades and performance suffers. That’s where practices like meditation come in — giving employees a chance to reset, restore and perform at a higher level.
More than just trendy buzzwords, meditation, breathwork and gratitude are research-backed tools that reduce stress, improve focus and help people be more present. For executives in fast-paced environments, meditation offers a way to stay focused amid the chaos.
“Meditation isn’t just something you do at a certain time or place — it’s a way of being,” says Mike Mueller, director of enterprise marketing at technology firm Apptegy. “You can meditate while eating, working, driving or even doing the dishes — especially doing the dishes!”
At Apptegy, mindfulness has become more than a personal habit. Mueller leads group sessions for colleagues, a practice he began after his son was diagnosed with cancer in 2015. “The first class had around 30 attendees — an encouraging response,” Mueller says. “Taking 30 minutes away from their desks to sit quietly gives them room to navigate the rest of their day.”
Sherece West-Scantlebury, the recently retired president and CEO at Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, takes a slightly different approach. But the goal is the same: a reset.
“I realized I had already been meditating for much of my life — I just didn’t have a name for it,” says West-Scantlebury, who’s spent three decades in philanthropy work. “I’d long used quiet moments and conscious breathing to re-center myself during intense times.”
For West-Scantlebury, breathwork is an anchor that helps her stay focused and calm: “It brings me back to center, no matter what’s going on around me.” Her daily practice, which includes journaling and reflecting on gratitude, helps her maintain clarity even in high-pressure moments. “I reflect on what I’m thankful for — sometimes it’s big, like health; other times it’s as simple as a quiet morning,” she says.
Mueller’s classes at Apptegy are simple and secular, focusing on mindfulness.
“Meditation helps us deal with incessant thinking, so we can see what’s in front of us — and do that,” he says. “It makes us more efficient, more creative and more tuned into our surroundings.”
Research by Harvard Business Review and others shows that even a few minutes of gratitude journaling can lead to powerful benefits, including reduced stress and faster, more accurate decisions.
“Focusing on gratitude has shifted not just my mindset but also how I show up in relationships,” West-Scantlebury notes. “I find myself more grounded, open and present — even in difficult moments.”
While Mueller integrates mindfulness into daily activities, West-Scantlebury’s practice leans heavily into intentional moments of stillness and gratitude. Though their approaches look different, both reinforce the same point: Taking time for mental health is essential.
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