We live in a time when the world changes faster than we can catch our breath. The weight of it all — uncertainty, pressure, constant motion — leaves its mark on the body and the spirit. When things start to crack, we turn to medicine for help.
If you’ve been to a pharmacy lately, you’ve probably noticed the endless rows of calming remedies: herbal drops, homeopathic tinctures, and stronger pills that doctors now readily prescribe. We’ve come to expect quick solutions — and before we know it, the prescription for “rescue tablets” is already in our hands.
Those who understand that this only eases the surface pain go further. They move more, learn to breathe deeply, practice yoga, meditation, presence. And these things truly help — science has long proven that physical activity and breath increase dopamine and endorphins, the very chemicals that make us stronger and steadier in the face of stress.
And yet, no matter how many breathing techniques you master or how far you run, if the root of the problem stays untouched, stress will find its way back. It will visit you in traffic, pressing down with a panic attack, or creep in at night as a nightmare you can’t shake off.
So what do we do?
Let’s pause for a moment and remember the famous biblical story.
When Nehemiah, a Jewish official serving in the Persian royal court, returned to Jerusalem, he found a city in ruins. Decades earlier, Babylonian armies had destroyed its walls and burned its gates, leaving behind only rubble and fear. Those who had come back from exile lived among the wreckage — too weary to rebuild, too overwhelmed to begin.
The task before Nehemiah was immense: to restore what generations had lost. Yet he did not yield to despair.
He began small.
He divided the wreckage into pieces. Families repaired the wall nearest their homes; goldsmiths, perfumers, and priests laid stone beside stone. Each worked on a fragment so small it seemed meaningless — until, one morning, the city stood whole again.
Fifty-two days.
That’s how long it took to turn paralysis into progress — one piece at a time.
What I want to tell you is simple, though it took me years to understand: stress, fear, and despair often lose their power the moment you begin to act. I say this not as theory, but from my own path — I’ve faced many difficult moments, both in life and in work, and found my way forward through one principle only: breaking a complex problem into manageable pieces and taking small, deliberate steps.
A single step — then another, and another. You don’t need to see the whole path from the start. It’s enough to acknowledge that you’re going through something significant and show yourself compassion. Then, envision the goal, picture the destination, and plan the first move — then the next. The rest will unfold along the way.
At first, it feels as though nothing has changed. But after a hundred such moments, the fog begins to lift, and suddenly, the road ahead becomes clear. It’s the principle I now fully rely on when facing difficult times — in life or in my career.
The walls of Jerusalem still stand — silent witnesses to an ancient truth: no great work is ever completed in a single gesture. Whether it’s a city, a career, or the fragile architecture of our own peace of mind, everything lasting is built piece by piece.
Stress loses its power when we stop staring at the whole wall and simply lay the next stone.
So the next time you feel afraid, overwhelmed, or unsure where to begin — show yourself compassion. Then take a brick — and start building the wall.
The rest will follow.
This article was written in cooperation with Lado Okhotnikov