(video 2:14) When we’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed or we just want to calm down, taking a mindful breath can help a lot! It’s simple, quick and really effective.
mindful breath
Decision Fatigue
(video 4:13min) I’ve been reading research lately that talks about decision fatigue, the idea that over time, say over the course of a day, your ability to make decisions decreases. Essentially, you’re good at making decisions when you start, and then not so good, to bad as you continue.
The metaphor that is often used is that it’s like a muscle, it’s strong at first and then after using it for a while it gets tired and eventually too week to move.
After you rest you’re ready to go again.
This makes lunch breaks, coffee breaks, etc really important! Stop making decisions when you take breaks. Unplug.
If you can’t break for your whole lunch time, take a shorter break. Doing a 2 to 5 minute meditation practice is a great micro-break whenever you need one during the day. Or even a few mindful breaths… look away from your work & take a few.
Studies say you’ll make better decisions after enough rest.
Try it out & see if you agree!
What I Do in Crisis (2): 1 Deep Breath
(video 2:33 min) Taking one deep breath can help the body release stress during crisis. It’s a great way to release the pressure, a sigh of relief.
During crisis, I take one deep breath and use the exhale to literally blow out the stress. One deep breath works better for me than taking a series of deep breaths, because a series can feel like I’m forcing change in the middle of an already stressful situation… It’s just too much. One small change has a big impact. Trying to make lots of change gets overwhelming.
One deeper breath feels so good these days that my body almost does this automatically!
Enjoy!
What I Do in Crisis (1): A Mindful Breath
(Video: 3:45 min) I spent some quality time this summer understanding what helps me when I’m really stressed.
This is the first in a series on what worked during those crisis moments. These tools are what I used when I needed to do something to gain composure versus blowup or meltdown.
This first one, a mindful breath, is a great tool for giving me some perspective without requiring too much of my already overtaxed system.
How to slow down time, and to savor those precious moments.
Take this simple challenge for the new year : choose a precious time, a time you’d like to savor every day, like dinner with your family, and challenge yourself to take a mindful breath before starting… Every night for the next month!