Short, shallow breaths trigger what’s is know as the fight or flight response. Our ancestors used this response to keep alive during hunting. Now days this response gets triggered for all kinds of reasons. Some as simple as discovering that you are late for a meeting. Spending days in this type of response in this “go” mode drains energy, and increases stress. You can break this cycle by improving the quality of the breaths you take. Over time you will find that deep breathing makes it easier to relax and find a clearer state of mind. This will help you to be more productive and calmer even when your plate is full. You can take a moment to breathe anywhere and anytime. Here are some ideas on when to breathe:
- While sitting at a red light
- Before you board a flight
- While waiting for the coffee to brew
- With the kids at bedtime
- In line at the grocery store
- Before tackling the “inbox”
- While on hold during a call
- At work before each meeting
- In the morning before you get out of bed
- In the evening before you go to sleep
