Air. We can't sustain life without it. And yet we take it for granted. After all, it's all around us, we breathe it in without thinking about it. It's just... there.
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| shawn rossi |
Except it's not. When we are under stress, whether excitement or fear or anxiety, our body takes over and automatically starts breathing faster, shallower. Little skips of breath to keep the oxygen coming in, keeping pace with elevated adrenaline levels. This has flow-on effects: our shoulders rise and muscles tighten, tension increases, heart rate rises, body temperature elevates, reactions are heightened. And all this without us even realising.
Not exactly what we need to do to remain calm! Stillness from within needs deep wells to draw on. If we want to remain calm we need to quieten our body's overeager response to stress. This leaves us better able to make measured responses to what's going on.
So how to still the adrenalin reaction? Just.. breathe! Yes, it's that simple. Slow, long, deep breaths. Down to your belly button, down to your pelvis, down to the bottom of your boots! Even five such even breaths is a good start. As you breathe, consciously drop your shoulders. Let the good air fill you up and flush out the bad. Feel your heart rate slow. You may even find a smile welling up from within as the tension flows away.
(Just imagine, if you will, me hiding in a bathroom stall, standing up and taking a few deep breaths in the middle of a work deadline crisis. That minute of privacy meant my next few hours were far more productive. It's up to you on whether you feel the need to flush to hide your activities!)
Air. We can't live without it, but we can certainly make it work for us instead of against us.
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