BREATH IS STRATEGY!

 Quiet your mind
Increase trust
Increase effectiveness
Increase creativity
Increase JOY

Do you have a STRONG desire to be more strategic throughout your day? If you do, this is for YOU! Keep reading… it will take you 5 minutes: 3 minutes to read and 2 minutes to practice!

Have you ever seen or experienced this…“Take a breath” a parent might say while getting more upset with their upset kid. Or a manager says in a raised tone, “Just calm down” or basically reprimands an employee, “The work isn’t getting done correctly or on time” and expects the employee to be excited to deliver?

When have you ever seen this work? NEVER!

Studies show that clear and creative strategies do not work when in a state of induced stress. Someone telling us to calm down when they obviously cannot stay calm themselves will NEVER do the trick and will stifle movement, thus adding more time and mistakes. This obviously goes both ways! Stress causes more mistakes and adds time to any project!

Deep breathing oxygenates the blood, which promotes relaxation and a sense of calm. Regular breathing exercises can help you develop a more mindful approach to life, reduce anxiety, and increase mental clarity.

What happens when the “other person” is actually our inner voice causing the stress?

I was having a conversation with a client last week and she said, “I do not have time to stop and breathe.” While that sounds so counterproductive, I get it. I used to be that person. I knew intellectually what I needed to but the thought of stopping for TWO FULL MINUTES seemed daunting.

Before you start telling someone else (or yourself), here’s what you MUST know and what to do! And remember, practice always makes perfect!

#1 Ask yourself WHY is this so important? Why do I want to calm down? Why do I want the other person to do the work? What is the BENEFIT? If you don’t keep bringing the “WHY” top of mind, you will find any reason not to stop for 2 minutes.

Pro Tip: On sticky notes around your house/office/desk: 2 Minute Shift – WHY?

WHY? Why these 2 minutes are so important! -

1. Reduced heart rate: Slowing down your breathing rate can help lower your heart rate and blood pressure, leading to a more relaxed and calm state.

2. Improved oxygenation: When you breathe slowly, you allow your body to take in more oxygen, which can improve the overall functioning of your body and brain.

3. Decreased stress: Slow breathing has been shown to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for regulating the body's relaxation response. This can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.

4. Improved concentration: Being intentional with your breath can help you focus and improve your concentration, as it allows you to be more present and mindful in the moment.

5. Improved sleep: By calming the body and mind with slow breathing, you fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply.

HOW:

1. If you love calming music, have it at the ready in your playlist and put it on (If it creates a step that stops the process, ditch the music)

2. Put a 2-minute timer on your watch “Alexa/Google 2-minute timer please”

3. Close your eyes and visualize how you want the conversation to play out, the project to end, your kid calming down because of how you spoke to them, this moment to be better…how you feel at the end of the day because of how you handled the situation

• Another option is to journal and write this down for 2 minutes (I prefer to visualize. I know people who have a really hard time closing their eyes, so this is another option)

4. Open your eyes and make a mental or physical note of how you feel about what you’re tackling and get on with it!

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

- Albert Einstein

It’s 2 minutes! That’s it! READY TO TRY? NO TIME BETTER THAN NOW!

5. REPEAT, REPEAT AND REPEAT!

The key is to make breathing exercises a habit. The more you do them, the easier they'll become, and the more you'll notice the benefits in your life.

The good news is that the more we do this, the more we naturally trigger ourselves into this breath seconds after getting into knots. And the even better news is that…

BREATH IS STRATEGY!

Quiet your mind
Increase trust
Increase effectiveness
Increase creativity
Increase JOY

Please take a moment to share with us or in the comments how you feel or about what you noticed.