Life is full of potential stressors. What are some ways that you have found helpful to keep calm when stressful life events come your way?
Navy Seals are trained to keep calm when the bullets are flying, and people are dying. Along with the best training in the world, they are taught a secret that average people, like us, can adopt to deal with stress. It’s called Box Breathing.
Here is how Box Breathing works. Breathe in for 5 seconds and hold it for 5 seconds. Breathe out for 5 seconds and then hold it for 5 seconds. Try it for one minute (yes, try it right now for one minute).
Box Breathing can help with anxiety, reduce depression, lower blood pressure, and calm the fight-or-flight response. It can even help with ADHD, panic attacks, and temper tantrums.
It would be wonderful to take all of the stress out of your life, but we both know that stress is a part of living. So instead of trying to control situations or people, we can learn to control our breathing which can help us control our reactions. The next time things get crazy, STOP, and do some Box Breathing. I hope this breathing exercise helps you make better choices for yourself and those you love.
May you enjoy abundant health,
Rick Christman, MPH