Calm - 10/4/19

Most of us have seen the memes. 

No other words spoken have been less effective as telling someone to calm down. 

Ever.

However, having the ability to calm oneself down during high-stress situations is a powerful tool. Whether you are dealing with something personal, or are a leader in an organization, knowing how to calm down in a Code Blue situations will lead one, and the team, to move more quickly to solutions and probably better solutions in the end. Here are my top tips for getting back to zen.

1. Count Down From 10: 

Yellow lights on an unprotected left turn. The food is burning in the oven. Children are screaming. Crossing the street. Whatever it may be, we’ve all experienced rushing into a situation and getting hurt in the process. Many an accident or injury has happened because of rushing. While I’ve heard this advice growing up, it wasn’t until later that I realized how clutch counting down from ten is. It is the difference between getting T-boned and making it home. It is the difference between a vindictive or facetious response and a thoughtful one. The difference between handling a situation with care or getting injured. While certain situations can be anxiety inducing at the moment, you’d be surprised how much of your anxiety-inducing scenario can change in ten fucking seconds, if you can wait that long. Own where you are, then move quickly when it is safe to do so.

2. Slow Breathing: 

Slowing one’s breath is another common technique used to slow down one’s heart rate. In fact, it was during my martial arts training where I learned to slow my heart from from 180 bpm to almost resting in under a minute by holding my breath for a few seconds then letting out a long exhale. Scientific American published an article earlier this year citing how cardiac coherence, breathing in for 5 seconds and out for 5 seconds, can greatly dampen anxiety. But you have to TRY. While certain traumas and disorders may need a proper medical diagnosis, adding on visual aids, such as the Breathing App, can encourage one to align their breathing to the pace on the screen.

I’m personally exploring the benefits of nasal focused breathing.

3. Burn-off: 

When the above doesn’t work and I need to expend high-pressured stress more immediately, I turn to the physical. Running, lifting, burpees, screaming. Whatever it is that you can do safely without injuring yourself or others, blowing off quick incoming energy in the form of high-intensity physical activity can help get rid of short-term stresses, such as the few seconds after receiving bad news. Then go back to any of the above toolbox techniques.

4. Cue the Tunes: 

Music can work as a powerful aide in setting the mood and even lowering one’s tension and heart rate. Of course, launching Spotify isn’t on the first thing on most of our contingency plans, but transitioning into your favorite tunage or calming playlist is effective in the short term to regain your focus. Be prepared and gather that playlist beforehand.

5. Eat Something:

Seriously. Hormones can affect our mood and behavior choices greatly. I sometimes think about how many arguments in my past relationships have been because one or both of us has been hangry. Before launching into attack mode, ask yourself when it was the last time you ate. 

5. Gratitude

Is it really that bad?

I have all my limbs, am alive today, a family that loves me, friends that care, and most likely a chance to try again. When compared to the When Shit Hits the Fan history book, where does your problem rank? Probably not THAT high. Hopefully, no one died. Yes, it could always be worse. And if you’re at rock bottom, you can only go up. The chances of you even having a mind and body to experience the event is 400 trillion to one. As famed entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuck says, “You could have been a fucking tree.”

Stress is a part of our lives for a reason. It can get us up in the morning, kick our ass into being productive, and encourage us to be creative. But too much can lead to mental distress, lashing out at ones that love us, and hurt our bodies in the long run.

Learning how to stay calm is essential in learning to stay in one’s optimization zone. Leaving too little on the table can hamper performance. Packing on too much can cause one to burn out, making efforts useless and causing delay for recovery.

A fast car needs a high powered engine AND good brakes. Having control over emotions is like any muscle. It gets easier with practice. When you’ve mastered the art of calming down, you are now in control of when and how you deal with stress. 

Let’s do one together! Breath in 5 and out 5.

10… and out... 9… out... 8… out... 7… out... 6…  5… that’s it... 4… good one... 3…  2… one more... And 1…

fuck yeah... it’s friday...

Now go crush it!