Reduced stress may be a breath away!

In a few of my articles, I’ve talked about the impact that deep breathing has on reducing stress. A recent opportunity to practice what I preach came in the form of a warning light going off while driving.

I was on my way to a client session when the tire pressure light came on, indicating that one of the tires held just over 20 pounds of pressure. Adrenalin hit my system because if I didn’t get some air quickly my rim would be damaged. My frustration and anxiety started to climb when I had to go to three gas stations before finding a working air machine.

I filled the tire and got back on the road to get to a repair shop, but the indicator showed that the air was leaking fast, and the crawling traffic did nothing to relieve my stress. The one thing I was in control of in this situation was my emotional response to it, so I began taking some deep belly breaths to try and simmer down.

After about 30 seconds of doing this, my mind and body began to calm and I was thinking more clearly. I was able to see alternative courses of action if the tire couldn’t hold out long enough to reach the repair shop. Fortunately, I made it and was pleasantly surprised when they patched the tire for no charge.

Sometimes the stress that life brings is far more challenging than a flat tire, and while an exercise like deep breathing won’t necessarily solve the problem, it can lessen the negative impacts that it has on our bodies, minds, and spirits.

A method known as box breathing is very effective in getting my heart rate to slow and my mind to calm. The video below details how to do it.

When dealing with stressful situations, do you have a go-to strategy to mitigate its effects on you? I’d love to hear about it because the more arrows in our quiver to combat stress, the better.