Breathing – the (not so) secret weapon?!

Well, we do it all the time – on a normal day every 2-3 seconds in fact. However, we hardly think about it and often miss the power that can come with it as a result.

Quick excursion into the world of sports. An Olympic biathlete, one of the crazy sports where people compete in a Nordic skiing race with 3,5kg heavy gun on their back, will bring their heart rate up to 180 beats per minute when running around the circuit. Within a few seconds, when they enter the shooting range, they will reduce their heart rate by more or less 1/3. Why? Because they will either stand or lie and attempt to hit a 5 cm target, 50 meters away.

What can possibly go wrong? They can point the gun in the wrong direction and face a penalty, they can miss their target and lose time because they need to reload, or they have to run extra rounds for every missed target. Most awkward moment: Not enough concentration and hitting the competitors target on the next lane.

Back to business. Under stress tunnel vision increases. Being relaxed and open-minded however, supports creative thinking, consideration of options and development of well-considered strategy as a foundation for good decisions. If you have the time, you might go for a run or get inspired by good friends or colleagues. If you have less time, looking at holiday pictures or listening to your favourite music helps.

The one thing that is available at all times, however, is breathing. How? Comfortable position, sitting, standing or lying down. Eyes gazing down or closed. Start with one minute of breathing in for 3 seconds, breathing out for 4 or in for 4 seconds, out for 5. Generally breathing out longer than you breath in, science tells us, reduces the heart rate, calms stress, opens the mind and improves cognitive performance.

Who does not want to make better decisions?!