Back to my roots
This past weekend I went to a reunion of the Singing Cadets, a singing group I was a part of when I went to Texas A&M University. This organization, rich with history, was celebrating its 125th year and I joined 400 men to sing a wide variety of tunes. It was a fabulous weekend of singing and reconnecting with old friends.
Now for the stressful part…
I was supposed to fly home early Monday morning and return to work right away, but my flight was cancelled with nothing available until the next day despite my frantic calls to the airline. Have you ever been there?
Square what?!
In moments of stress, like your flight getting bumped, we can develop anxiety symptoms even though we know the situation is completely out of our control. In times like this, I turn to a breathing technique called Square Breathing which helps me on a daily basis. I recommend it for stressful times but I also use it everyday to stay relaxed and focused. In addition it can help reduce blood pressure and balance your mood.
“Breathe, one, two , three, four”
My wife made a video to guide you through this amazing centering breathing technique. Give it a try and start using it every day to help you reduce anxiety and stay calm. I’ll be using it tomorrow when I go to the airport in hopes that I will make it back to San Francisco this time!
How do I get started?
- Find a calm, quiet place and sit with your feet on the floor and your eyes closed
- Close your mouth and breath in for a count of four letting the air fill up your belly
- Hold that breath for another count of four
- Release the air through your nose or mouth to a count of four
- Hold four seconds
- Repeat entire sequence four times
- As your lung capacity increases over time, you can make your count longer