Breathing.
You can go a few days without food and water, but only a few minutes without this critical lifeline.
Aside from keeping you alive, how you breathe can profoundly impact how you feel and perform.
We all breathe differently under stress compared to when we’re calm.
When your brain senses danger (real or perceived), your breathing changes:
- Shallow breaths: Focused in the upper chest to bring air in quickly.
- Elevated shoulders: Activates muscles for “fight or flight.”
- Mouth breathing and raised chin: Maximizes airflow in case the danger restricts it.
While these breathing mechanisms are a response to stress, stress breathing can also work in reverse.
It can convince your brain that there is danger, even when there isn’t.
The “fight or flight” brain stays in a state of anxious hypervigilance, thinking:
"I don’t see danger, but it must be there."
Over time, this drains your focus, energy, and well-being.
The good news? You can manually override this cycle of stress with simple breathing techniques.
Step-by-Step: Better Breathing
✅ Engage Your Diaphragm:
Your diaphragm is a muscle that, when activated, pulls down on the cavity around your lungs.
This creates a vacuum that brings air into your lungs passively, without activating other muscles.
To use your diaphragm effectively, make sure your stomach expands from the front, side, and back when you inhale.
Practice:
- Place one hand over your belly button and the other on your chest.
- As you breathe in, the hand on your belly button should move before the hand on your chest.
✅ Relax Your Shoulders & Chin:
- Proper diaphragmatic breathing eliminates the need to lift your shoulders or raise your chin.
- Stand in front of a mirror while taking deep breaths. Watch for unnecessary shoulder or chin movement.
✅ Breathe Through Your Nose:
- Your nose helps filter, heat, and humidify air before it reaches your lungs.
- Nasal breathing triggers pressure receptors that interrupt the stress cycle.
With these techniques, your breathing sends a signal to your brain that everything is OK.
By incorporating these simple habits, you can:
✔️ Reduce stress
✔️ Improve focus
✔️ Manage your daily energy for peak performance
Take a few minutes each day to practice better breathing.
Over time, it will become second nature, helping you thrive even in challenging moments.
Breathe better. Live better.
10 Reflections That Will Change Your Life
Life’s greatest answers come from the most powerful questions.
If you need to re-energize your brain, body, and belief system, take time to honestly reflect on the following:
Reflect on Your “Gold Standard” Self
- Describe a time in your life when you showed up as the ultimate, “gold standard” version of yourself.
- How did you feel in that moment?
- How did others experience you?
- What physical, mental, emotional beliefs or rituals helped you show up as your best self?
- Which of these rituals do you still practice?
- Which have you let go of—and why?
- How could you scale those rituals to fit your life right now?
Examine Your Core Values
- What was the last major life decision you made?
- Aside from practicality, what core values guided this decision?
- How did these values help you navigate challenges? (Be specific.)
- Did these values serve you well? Why or why not?
The Best Advice You’ve Ever Received
- What’s the most impactful advice you’ve ever been given?
- Did you act on it? Where, when, and how?
- Have you shared it with others? Why or why not?
Define Your Version of Success
- What does success mean to you, in specific terms?
- If you had to sum it up in one word, what would it be?
- Do your current choices align with this vision?
- If you achieved your version of success, what would a day in your life look like? (Be detailed.)
- What would you be able to do more of?
- What would you be able to do less of?
- Who in your life would benefit from your success? How?
Your Lifetime Achievement Award
- If you received a lifetime achievement award, what would you want the introduction to say?
- If someone close to you shared how you impacted them, what would you want them to say?
One Minute to Live
- If you had one minute to live, what would you tell the closest people in your life?
- When was the last time you expressed these sentiments?
The Ideal Day
- What would your ideal daily schedule look like if you had more energy? (Be specific.)
Confront Your Inner Critic
- What does your inner critic say when it’s at its worst?
- Are these statements backed by evidence, or are they just false narratives?
Break a Habit
- Identify one habit you want to change.
- What will happen if you don’t change it?
- Who else in your life will be affected?
- How will it impact them?
- Are you OK with that?
- What’s one small action you can take today to initiate change?
Fearless Framing
- What would you do in your professional life if you knew you couldn’t fail?
- How would pursuing this dream change your life?
- How would this change the lives of those you care about?
Powerful Reflection → Powerful Change
After reflecting, identify ONE specific action you can commit to over the next 90 days to realign your energy with what truly matters.
Your answers shape your future. Choose wisely.
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