Feeling Stressed? Breathe.
According to a report from the American Institute of Stress, 80 percent of workers feel stressed in their job; nearly half say they need help learning how to manage stress, and 42 percent say that their coworkers need such help.
Whether you’re facing an imminent deadline or an emotionally-charged conversation with a colleague, you need to find a way to let go of the stress. Daniel Goleman, author of Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, suggests and age-old solution to get into a calm and focused state: count your breath.
Every morning, before I went to work, I did a session – maybe 20 minutes – of focusing on my breath, and wherever my mind wandered, like “What am I gonna do about this boss?” I just let that go and go back to my breath. This has two effects – it sharpens attention, and it calms the body. So I get to work in the best state to get work done, which is full concentration, calm and relaxed…
The stress-busting breathing exercise that Goleman uses is easy to do yourself, no matter where you are or what you’re doing:
When you take deep breaths from the abdomen, rather than shallow breaths from your upper chest, you inhale more oxygen. The more oxygen you get, the less tense, short of breath, and anxious you feel.
Sit comfortably with your back straight. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move very little.
Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.
Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. Count slowly as you exhale.
Studies reveal that stress levels have been progressively increasing over the past two decades, and they show no sign of slowing down. As the workplace continues to grow more fast-paced, and your work becomes more demanding, it’s more important than ever to help your body relax, and get your mind focused.
