In a world that rewards busyness over stillness, The ORT Jet Business Show recently offered a much needed pause for reflection in an insightful conversation between David Zidel and Ronen Aires. David, a finance expert and behavioural economics enthusiast, opened the discussion with a profound insight: “We’re not always in business, we’re in busy-ness.” This set the tone for a conversation that challenged the chaos of modern living and offered tools for transformation.
Ronen, founder of Student Village and author of Breach, has worn many hats, entrepreneur, high-performance coach, mental wellness leader but at his core, he is a seeker. A seeker of stillness, purpose and truth. Drawing inspiration from Stephen Covey’s third habit, “Put first things first,” Ronen described the modern paradox: in our rush to respond, reply, and react, we lose sight of what’s actually important.
“We’re overstimulated,” he said plainly. “Emails, WhatsApps, news feeds, notifications, they’ve hijacked our nervous systems.” It’s not just inconvenient it’s making us sick. Burnout, anxiety, disconnection are not fringe issues anymore, they’re becoming the norm. Ronen believes that the root of this lies in our addiction to speed, stress and constant noise.
One of the most unconventional and effective tools Ronen uses to help clients reconnect with themselves is cold exposure therapy. “Our fear of the cold comes from our bobbas,” he laughed. But he’s serious about its power. Whether it’s plunging your face into a bowl of ice, ending a shower on cold, or simply immersing in cold water a few times a week, the results are astonishing. “Just 11 minutes a week,” he shared, “can shift your state, stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system, and clear your mind like a freshly wiped windscreen.” The discomfort becomes a gateway to mental clarity.
Leadership, Ronen explained, is especially lonely. The weight of decisions, the pressure to perform, the expectations, can be crushing. That’s why he insists on the healing power of stillness. “If you’re too busy for 20 minutes in nature a day, then spend an hour,” he quipped.
Stillness, breathwork and time outdoors help regulate the nervous system and remind leaders of what truly matters.
Stress, he noted, is like a bag of crisps, we know it’s bad for us, but we keep reaching in. Breaking the cycle means starting small. One surprisingly impactful tip? “Turn your phone back to 2016,” Ronen said. “Turn off notifications. Reduce the noise.” Hyper-connectivity, he warns, is not only addictive it’s eroding our ability to connect with our families and ourselves.
He finds deep wisdom in ancient traditions too. “Shabbat is a sacred pause,” he said. “It’s when we reconnect with the voice inside.” This is especially vital for children growing up in a digital world. Ronen and David explored how behavioural economics can help shape environments that make wellbeing the default. Simple nudges like silencing phones, creating screen-free zones, and prioritising real connection.
When David asked how to rediscover purpose in this chaos, Ronen replied with two words: “Know thyself.” Purpose, he believes, isn’t fixed. We have many throughout our lives. But in the whirlwind of busyness, we often lose touch with them. His guiding question? “What impact do I have on others?” That, he believes, is the truest measure of purpose.
Then came the concept of Chooseday. Born out of personal burnout and the urge to reframe time, Ronen transformed Tuesdays into a day of intentional living. “I was doing things that didn’t bring me joy,” he explained. “So I started Chooseday, a day to go at my own pace, be creative, connect with people, and do what fuels me.” Over six months, the impact was so tangible that others began to notice a profound shift in him. “On a Chooseday,” he said, “I am always choosing.”
He offered simple, grounding tools for others to try:
- Before bed, sit outside in the dark, breathe deeply, and listen to music.
- Use cold, heat, and breathwork like saunas or ice baths to shift states and reset.
- Allow state changes to be fluid don’t over-schedule your recovery.
- Create space daily to reflect, disconnect, and recalibrate.
These practices, he explained, aren’t just about feeling better they reduce risks of chronic disease by up to 40%. “The pain of my past wounds,” Ronen shared candidly, “has become the secret to my success.” For him, healing and high performance are inseparable. When we heal, we lead better. We live better. We love better. If we choose to pause, breathe and reclaim our days even just one Chooseday at a time, we might just remember who we really are.
For more information about ORT SA, please go to: https://www.ortsa.org.za/