have you ever felt stressed out . . . ?
[are you rolling your eyes and screaming “OF COURSE!!” at me?]
okay, i know you’ve been under stress before.
maybe you are under stress right now.
perhaps it’s an ongoing way of life for you.
so . . .
what do you DO about it?
there are many stress management programs and workshops.
and checklists and solutions.
and tips and techniques.
and many of these strategies are effective.
but what if you need something IMMEDIATELY?
something that will get you through the NEXT MOMENT?
something that will calm you enough to clear your head AT ONCE?
well, i’ll share the method i use that seems to be foolproof.
and you already know how to do it.
it’s called B-R-E-A-T-H-I-N-G.
there is a mantra that SCUBA divers repeat over and over to themselves.
STOP. BREATHE. THINK. then ACT.
divers get into trouble when they panic.
when they make fear-based decisions.
when they fail to remember their training.
when they forget to breathe.
STOP. BREATHE. THINK. then ACT.
STOP. the frenzy of alarm.
BREATHE. deep calming breaths.
THINK. of a possible solution.
then ACT.
notice that breathing precedes thinking here.
breathing is a quick but powerful de-stressing agent that allows you to settle the agitation.
then prepares you for the next steps, thinking and taking action.
during moments of distress we tend to take short, shallow breaths.
i find myself even going so far as to hold my breath when i encounter a stressful situation.
as soon as i consciously begin taking in deep cleansing breaths, i relax.
i feel energized and able to tackle what is in front of me.
all it takes is a few minutes of focused breathing.
breathe in slowly for 2 counts.
breathe out slowly for 2 counts.
repeat.
and feel the tension being released from your body.
B-R-E-A-T-H-E.
in with calm.
out with stress.
in with calm.
out with stress.
inhale strength.
exhale fear.
inhale determination.
exhale avoidance.
inhale composure.
exhale anxiety.
in with calm.
out with stress.
in with calm.
out with stress.
B-R-E-A-T-H-E.
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Great post, April! I know whenever I’m stressed out I get into super shallow breathing or I hold my breath. As soon as I consciously tell myself “just breathe” I’m able to at least think more rationally and usually tackle the situation better.
thanks, jenna. you’re so right – telling yourself to “just breathe” makes a world of difference. in fact, i had to take my own advice this morning! i could feel the stress of recent events getting to me. so i stopped, took some deep breaths, and instantly felt stronger.
Thank you for this reminder. Breathing changes everything, doesn’t it?
I was at the doctor’s office this morning getting routine blood work drawn & the place was packed. Everyone was a little overworked, stressed-out and yelling. By the time I got back to the nurse to take my blood pressure it was really high. That’s not normal for me so I asked her to retake it at the end of the appointment. By the time the appointment ended (and I had time to take some deep breaths) my BP was back to it’s low-normal. It made me wonder how many people are medicated because of their interaction with poor customer service in the waiting room.
In with calm. Out with stress. <– Should be posted in every health care office. 🙂
wow, jen. what a fabulous example of how emotional stress can impact our physical health! thank you so much for sharing your story. and i think that sounds like a grand plan for every health care office (maybe for every office period?!). “in with calm. out with stress.” displayed for all to see.
April,
Thanks for the reminder. It’s so easy to just react. The visualization steps you laid out here for what we are inhaling and exhaling I especially need.
Good stuff
thanks for reading, ryan. you’re right – it is so easy to just react to stressful situations. glad you liked the visualization.
April,
What a nice and useful reminder. I am an scuba diver since I was 12 years old and it is so true that you learn to mAnage your breathing to lower the stress or panic . Breathing can save a lot of lives in more than one way! The oxygen that you provide to your brain gives the opportunity to thinking clearly about the situation and bring you back to the real situation and its consequences. It was great reading your post! Thanks for sharing it with us!
so nice to hear from you, ana! getting valuable first-hand information from an actual SCUBA diver is a welcome addition to the conversation – thank you.