New Year, New Stress-Relieving Method in Minutes or Hours
Dec 27 / by Cavan Chan
Stress frequently impedes productivity in the pursuit of optimal performance. Cortisol, sometimes called the stress hormone, rises when stress levels rise. Prolonged exposure without proper management will result in undesirable symptoms such as concern, weariness, and anxiety. It will definitely impair work productivity and mental clarity. (Want to speak to a Performance Coach? Click here)
Using physical intelligence to combat stress induced performance issues is common among athletes, dancers, and performance artists. Many use music routines, breathing exercises, or visualization to reach the 'zone' so they can be at their best when it matters. Corporate professionals can borrow similar practices to thrive.
The intervention strategies: Breathing Pattern Change, Disruptive Movements, Visualizations, Thought Process Shift, and Interaction Methods are some of the common ones among high performers in the office; while breathwork may appear to be the easiest within business environment.
A simplest form of breath pattern changing practice is box/ square breathing. You inhale, hold, exhale and hold 4 seconds in each stage. It is a disciplined practice that relaxes both the mind and the body.
My favorite one is 4 second in & 6 second out diaphragmatic breathing. 4-second inhalation, followed by a 6-second exhalation. Practice for 3 minutes per set (about 18 breath) at first, gradually increasing to 5 minutes. Feel the calmness and enhanced attentiveness that this exercise produces.
Breathwork can help high stress people improve their focus, confidence, and productivity in minutes while providing hours of benefit. Many can attest to the result. As a person who likes to see truth in data, I capture the following picture here to convince myself.
The picture (collected from Whoop) highlights a client who was able to drop his stress level from 2.0+ to < 0.5 in less than 10 mins of breathwork.
So in this new year, let’s begin with easy activities like box breathing or regulated inhale-exhale patterns to set the tone for a more peaceful and resilient year ahead. Should you need to speak to someone about your situation, do reach out here. Let’s elevate our leadership together!
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