Hi, again!
So, did you try anything from the last
post on building healthy habits (click here)? How did it go?
This week, let's talk about 2 things
you can do all day, that will take 5-30 seconds and make a huge
difference in how you feel and your health in general.
Most people don't think much about
their breathing and identifying peak energy times during the day, but
they can be 2 things that only take a few seconds but can create
profound positive changes.
So, you're probably thinking that
breathing is automatic, no need to think about it and, for the most
part, it is. What's interesting about breathing is that we can't
live without it and we can control it easily, unlike other essential
bodily functions like our heart beating. Consciously controlling
your breath, specifically by doing deep breathing in this example,
can help you to also take control of situations and your health!
Here's what I suggest:
1. Pick a time during the day to
practice doing 3 deep belly breaths. These are those big, deep
breaths that expand your lower abdomen and you can even feel it in
your back and hips as those muscles relax and expand to allow more
space for your breath.
A good way to make this a habit is to
connect it with another activity you do during your normal day. It
could be before returning messages after lunch, going to the
bathroom, getting a cup of coffee/tea/water, waiting in line, or
picking up the kids. Anything that you do every day and have 30
seconds to tack this on to one end.
The rest is super simple. Just sit
comfortably or stand with your feet planted on the floor about hip
width apart, roll your shoulders back and straighten your spine so
you have good posture. Then, take a deep breath in through your nose
while counting silently to 5 and then exhale through your mouth to a
count of 5. Repeat that 2 more times and notice how you feel.
The science behind it is that when we
breathe deeply, we are giving our body and brain a signal that
everything is ok, which allows our stress response to turn off and
causes all sorts of great things to happen. In a state of calm our
bodies begin to heal and we are able to think more clearly to be more
effective rather than just react to our situation. It also gives you
a bump in oxygen to increase your energy and alertness helping you
feel refreshed as well.
Now, #2 is to notice your overall
energy and alertness through the day and leverage it to get back more
time, stress less and be happy. You probably already know if you're
a morning person or night owl, right? If you want extra credit on
this one, carry a calendar or notepad with you for a week (maybe in
your phone), and write down the times of day when you feel tired and
when you feel really productive. Even on the weekend! You'll notice
a pattern like an obvious 2 PM slump or an 9 AM spike in energy.
Take advantage of those times you're
really "on" to schedule your most difficult tasks or time
to do plan and analyze things. Examples: if you are teaching
something, plan it for your "on" time or if you need to go
to the Dr. try to schedule it at a time you will be most capable to
ask questions and understand instructions.
Likewise, take advantage of your less
productive time frames to schedule something mundane like a dentist
appointment where the hour lying in a chair drooling won't matter or
do your busy work and repetitive tasks that don't require much
thought. You may even find that you can adjust almost your entire
schedule to take advantage of your natural energy rhythm, over time,
by making these small shifts. Bonus points if you can identify these
time frames in the people around you the most, because you will be
able to approach them at the most opportune times as well.
The benefits are huge! When you can
leverage your strengths, you'll accomplish more and do everything
with more excellence. You'll also feel less stressed out, which can
mean less illness and bad moods leading to a lot more fun time doing
things you enjoy with the people you love. Who doesn't want that?
Let me know how it goes. As always, I
love hearing from you!
Here's another personal example from me
so you can really see what I mean: I can rock 11 AM -3PM like
nobody's business and then I get a second wind around 7 PM - 1AM so,
if I have my choice I schedule meetings during mid-day and do any
work that requires thought and attention in the evening. For example,
if someone wants to schedule a consult I'll always choose a time when
I know I'll be thinking quicker on my feet. Then, you'll often find
me doing tasks like reviewing budgets and doing follow up emails
after 3 pm because they are routine.
It wasn't always like this. I
struggled for years with early morning bosses who would ask for
updates first thing, when I was more apt to just get my computer on
and read emails until my brain fully woke up. Once I learned to quit
fighting my natural rhythm and wishing I was more of a morning
person, I was able to take control of the situation and compromise,
even without them knowing! Needless to say this created a lot of
ease in my life, lowered my stress levels and made me a lot happier
and fun to be around. Believe me, your coworkers appreciate it when
you're happier.
So, I started poking my head in at the
end of each day with an update for my boss, when I was able to be
more coherent and it worked out brilliantly :) Not only did my boss
love that I was proactively giving him the info he needed rather than
having to drag it out of my foggy head everyday, he had it at his
finger tips when he could best process it, the next morning. Win-
win.
I started setting similar expectations
with everybody and people love someone who is consistent above almost
all else. Knowing when they could expect a returned email or phone
call from me kept a lot of the needless follow-up and chasing to a
minimum, which freed up even more of my time (and theirs) so I was
able to focus on more value add work.
It only took a few weeks and my boss
and coworkers were often calling me a "rockstar". I went
from dreading every morning and spending afternoons feeling frazzled
to knowing that I was going to be able to ease in to my day and be
really productive and valued.
I know you can do this too and don't
hesitate to let me know if you need help.
Until next time...don't forget to
breathe!
