How to Shift from Work Stress to Calm in 3 Seconds Flat

When you’re on the treadmill of workplace stress, it’s hard to exit the cycle of escalation. With deadlines to meet and bad bosses to appease, nothing you do seems good enough. It would be better if you didn’t work in that toxic job, but there’s always the specter of economic uncertainty haunting you, as well as the prospect of a long wait between jobs. When you’re in a stuck place, the best resource you have is to harness your creativity to come up with a genius exit plan. For that you need a calm, clear mind. Enter the simple and easy three-second breathing technique to go from stressed to calm in three seconds flat. When you get anxious, the central physiological response is one of overbreathing; which in turn increases oxygen levels in the brain. This overbreathing causes unpleasant physical sensations such as rapid heart rate and sweating. In order to balance the oxygen levels in your brain and stop the anxiety from escalating, it’s essential to slow down your breathing. This can be done successfully by following these four simple steps: Use the second hand of your watch to count to three seconds. Notice how long three seconds actually lasts. If you don’t have a second hand on your watch, simply count: “one thousand, two thousand, three thousand.” While looking at your watch, breathe in for a count of three seconds. Then breathe out for a count of three seconds. Repeat this slow breathing for two minutes. Excuse yourself to visit the bathroom to pract...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Anxiety and Panic Creativity Disorders General Habits Psychology Self-Help Stress brain Breathing Exercise Breathing Technique Chronic Stress Workplace Stress Worry Source Type: blogs