Breathing Exercises for Resilience and Productivity: Lessons from a Resilience Coach
Do you ever suddenly experience intense emotions in your day-to-day life? Maybe something happens at work that makes you feel anxious or upset. Your breathing may get shallow, your throat may constrict, or your palms may get sweaty. You may have trouble focusing on the task at hand.
Trauma reactions are more common than we might think. When we find ourselves reverting to old patterns that don’t serve us well, our trauma can be triggered, making it difficult for us to stay present in our bodies, in our relationships, or in our work. In these moments, one of the first things to go is our breath. Many people find themselves looking for distractions which leads to lack of productivity and resilience.
Proper breathing helps to oxygenate the body and the brain, improving both physical and mental performance. When we’re stressed, our breathing often becomes shallow and rapid, which can lead to a host of problems, including headaches, fatigue, and anxiety. By using resiliency tools like breathing exercises, we can calm the mind and body, and improve our ability to focus and think clearly. In addition, regular practice of breathing exercises can help to build resilience, making us more able to cope with stress and setbacks.
We spoke with Resilience Coach, Chandra Greene, about the benefits and importance of finding your breath in and out of the workplace. As a resilience coach, Greene helps people develop the skills they need to cope with difficult situations. She provides support and guidance, and helps people to stay positive and focussed on their goals.
Productivity and resilience begins with “bringing positive sensory awareness to the present moment,” says Chandra. “Life is happening around you, not to you. Coming back to the breath is a great way to connect to the present. You have the power to determine how you show up. Breathing into that knowledge is key.”
Some Breathing exercises that Greene recommends are:
- Box Breathing
- 4-7-8 Breathing
- 2-to-1 Breathing
- Alternate Nostril Breathing
- Belly Breathing
- Quick Coherence Technique
- Lion’s Breath
- Cooling Breath
- Humming Bee Breath
Practicing any of these can result in changing the way you work and live for the better. It is so important to be able to pick oneself up after a fall and keep going. Resilient people achieve great things.
So if you are looking for a way to boost your resilience and productivity, be sure to include some breathing exercises in your routine.
ROI has developed breathing cards and easy-to-follow instructions for many of the breathing exercises that Chandra recommends. These are great for first responders, students, or anyone who experiences the effects of trauma. Learn more and get your set of breathing cards here.
