Take the Intentional Pause

My next few posts focus on “less college stress.”

I can’t imagine the never-ending stress that Angel Perez, a former dean at several colleges and the current director of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, must field every day. In his new book “The Hottest Seat on Campus,” he shares the “superpowers” that support him through an intense world that never slows down. 

In an interview with Ethan Sawyer, Perez shared Justin Trudeau’s observation at the World Economic Forum a few years back: the pace of change has never been this fast, and it will never be this slow again. When will things return to normal? 

The answer is never.  

In college admissions counseling, we are always focused on the latest data. Admissions cycles prior to the pandemic (only five years ago) have little relevance now. Colleges face new challenges. Leaders like Perez face constant pressure to respond, engage, extinguish crises–and we all do! In the college process, stress often gets “turned up to 11” for students, parents, and consultants. 

A text pings, we respond. Social media demands prompt attention. As parents, we react. 

If we don't deliberately create space for quiet, we remain trapped in reaction mode, adrenaline pumping. We stop leading and succumb to chaos. What sparks us isn’t always a real emergency, but it feels like one. Research confirms what many of us know intuitively—decisions made after reflection are simply better decisions that allow perspective.

Perez explains how he learned this lesson the hard way. Early on, he maintained a relentless pace and felt the consequences professionally and personally. Now, unless facing a genuine crisis, he responds, "I'm going to think about that and get back to you tomorrow."

That’s the intentional pause.

It requires self-discipline, but rather than giving into the pressure to respond immediately, you get space for deeper, calmer thinking, better answers.

As a natural problem-solver, I easily fall into this trap. Parents and students: if you experience being "everywhere and nowhere at once”—overworked, overextended, and committed to goals beyond your control, using Perez’s “superpower” will benefit your physical and mental health–and the decisions you make.