Making Better Decisions Under Stress: Accessing Heart Coherence in Life, Work, and Leadership

Guest: Amy VaaS When stress is high, and the future feels uncertain, how do you make good decisions—at work, in your relationships, or in everyday life? This captivating episode explores a practical, science-based way to stay clear and grounded when it matters most. HeartMath CEO Deborah Rozman has an intriguing conversation with Amy VaaS, former Global Well-Being Leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), who helped bring HeartMath’s heart coherence practices into high-pressure, highly analytical environments, including cybersecurity and risk teams. Amy shares how she moved from focusing only on the brain and neuroscience to realizing that the missing piece was the state of the heart—directly affecting clarity, judgment, communication, and how we show up under stress and overload. Hear Amy’s real-world stories of how science-based heart coherence practices helped: Leaders and teams think more clearly, listen better, and make better decisions even in challenging conversations. Teams, under intense pressure to shorten meetings, reduce reactivity, and become “the calm in the storm” for their clients and colleagues. People experience improved sleep, feel more emotionally regulated in daily life, and know how to reset their nervous system quickly. Amy also shares how she now works through her new venture, VAAS Solutions, integrating heart coherence into leadership advising, team effectiveness, and organizational culture—so performance, resilience, and well-being all rise together instead of competing with each other. Her insightful examples reveal how small, consistent coherence practices can quietly transform how leaders, teams, and individuals operate. Whether you’re a long-time HeartMath fan or completely new to heart coherence, this engaging episode will give you a deeper understanding of why being in a coherent heart state is not just a “nice-to-have wellness perk,” but a practical, repeatable skill for making better decisions under stress in any area of life. The episode closes with a practical guided heart-focused meditation led by Deborah to help you practice heart coherence for yourself—so you can bring more calm, clarity, and heart into your work, your family, your health, and the everyday decisions that shape your life. About our guest: Amy VaaS is the founder and principal advisor of VAAS Solutions. She works with organizations to strengthen leadership, improve team effectiveness, and create cultures where people and performance excel. With over 25 years in globally recognized financial and professional firms, she has led initiatives that empower leaders to navigate complexity and build resilient cultures. Amy integrates neuroscience-based tools, coherence practices, and leadership strategies across onboarding, milestone leadership development, and executive coaching. Today, she partners with companies worldwide to guide leaders through real-world demands while building cultures that advance both people and results.