Conan O’Brien, Neal Baer and Paramount’s Adam Goodman Reveal Their Biggest Stressors

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TALK SHOW HOST Conan O’Brien

THE GRIPE: “Feeling unprepared, that’s my biggest stressor. That’s the thing about comedy: The more you prepare, the more spontaneous you are able to be in the moment. You have your plan — it’s just putting the work in. I try to make sure I’m ready. Various nut oils also help.”

THE SPAS’ SOLUTIONS: Recommends spa director Angie Day: “Canyon Ranch [in] Arizona has a Charting Your Inner Life program that helps put your inner world into visual form. We offer several types of ‘mapping’ to enhance your understanding of where you are and where you’re headed.”

CUSTOM DEEPAK MANTRA: “My deeper subconscious mind/higher self is always prepared and knows what to say spontaneously.”

STORY: 5 Easy Ways to De-Stress at Work

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DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR Lucy Walker

THE GRIPE: “It’s a tremendous responsibility to work with real people exposing themselves when you’re making a documentary. I lose sleep trying to get it right. Then add to that my ambition to make the best possible film,” says Walker, director of the 2013 festival hit The Crash Reel.

THE SPAS’ SOLUTIONS: Says Day: “We suggest Canyon Ranch’s new creative arts offerings to use creative skills in a less structured way to offer much-needed release and some fun! Examples of activities include ceremonial sand painting, a poetry writing workshop or a needlepoint session.”

CUSTOM DEEPAK MANTRA: “My joy leads to joy in the audience. This is the ultimate measure of my movie.”

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STUDIO EXEC, PARAMOUNT Adam Goodman

THE GRIPE: “Missing something obvious — the next best thing, whatever that is. That one script. Yes, it does give me nightmares,” says Goodman, president of Paramount Film Group.

THE SPAS’ SOLUTIONS: Says Kathy Van Ness, GM of Golden Door in Escondido, Calif., “At Golden Door, our Yoga for Sleep class is magical to understand how to turn off the noise and build a deep, healthy sleep that refreshes and rests the mind.”

CUSTOM DEEPAK MANTRA: “Great things come to those with open minds and hearts. They run away from those with minds constricted by stress and worry.”

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ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER Bianca Goodloe  

THE GRIPE:   “When a producer fails to perform and then refuses to release our clients’ escrowed funds, forcing an arbitration. … That really chaps my hide.”

THE SPAS’ SOLUTIONS: “Suggests Van Ness: “To be able to de-stress anywhere, give a name to actions or reimagined events that made you feel fantastic. It is like taking a mental vacation. … It is a technique called ‘quick coherence’ we teach at Golden Door.”

CUSTOM DEEPAK MANTRA: “Why am I unnecessarily stressing out?” When you have an honest answer, take steps to remedy the situation.

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TV WRITER AND PRODUCER Neal Baer

THE GRIPE: “I constantly worry about how I’m going to shoot all our scenes in eight days. No matter how many scenes I have in an episode, it always seems they board out to a nine-day shoot,” says Baer, an executive producer on CBS’ Under the Dome.  

THE SPAS’ SOLUTIONS:   Says Van Ness, “When our guests want to reduce stress at Golden Door, we suggest our Biofeedback Stress Relief training class, followed by an Inner Yoga class and a mountain hike — the perfect combination to set the mind and body in harmony.”

CUSTOM DEEPAK MANTRA: “Did my work ever get better because I worried about it?” Repeat in any stressful situation, and allow yourself to relax.

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TALENT AGENT, PARADIGM Jeff Kolodny

THE GRIPE: “Most stressful, I’d say, is just balancing work and family with the 24-hour nature of the job of being a talent representative. People are literally emailing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are so connected now that the work never stops!”

THE SPAS’ SOLUTIONS: Says Van Ness, “To reduce stress and create balance, a private Chakra Clearing class followed by our 90-minute underwater Watsu massage brings back your inner-child self and creates the clarity to set those much-needed boundaries.”

CUSTOM DEEPAK MANTRA: “I will set a time for emails and stick with it, no matter what remains undone. The world will not change, nor will my career.”

This story first appeared in the Jan. 17 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.