Making Time To Breathe 

A topic that has come up a lot recently, in both practice and personal life, is the subject of time. Specifically, how there never seems to be quite enough of it. And I get it. Even I have felt like the hours in the day seem to fall short of what is needed to accomplish anything of substance.

Initially, I thought I would write something on how to manage your schedule and prioritize but I changed my mind. Sorry, to anyone who is looking for that. If you are interested in such a post, let me know in the comments! But, I changed my mind because I realized this was more than an organization and management issue. Even the most structured and well put together people that I know have been feeling this way. So what then can we really do if the solution to this time-issue isn’t in digital diaries or dates in a calendar? Well...I suppose we can always breathe.

As I listened to a friend of mine recently vent about all they have to do in the coming days, all the meetings and objectives and their respective deadlines, a question came to my head. “So when did you schedule in the time to breathe”? It came out in a playful tone but I actually meant it and my friend knew that too. It’s so easy to get caught up in everything going on that we forget to slow down and give ourselves a moment of stillness. You may wonder, what would breathing do for me? And to that I point you towards the mountains of research, or just this one video for now, on the benefits of intentional breathing. 

Taking even just one minute to slow our body down and allow more oxygen into our brain can not only help us feel less stressed and more relaxed, but can also help us be more productive in whatever is it we were trying to do in the first place! And what does one minute of intentional breathing cost us, really? If it’s impossible to get it all done, we might as well spare ourselves a moment of respite. But maybe you know all this and still struggle to remember or “find the time”. To this I say, put it in your schedule. If you can plan all the other things you have, why not put that in there too? Write it in your planner, set an alarm for it. Be intentional. If this is something you value or would like to prioritize more, perhaps it should be given the same consideration as your other tasks.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I know life is very hectic for some. Not everyone’s “busy” is the same. I recognize that some people are barely getting by and struggling to hold on. This is why I have chosen to focus on the act of breathing. Something that can be quick, already comes naturally, and costs nothing to most. Though, if you have the capacity, allow your moment of “breathing” to extend beyond just the literal act. Your moment to breathe could be reading a chapter of a book, going for a walk, or spending a moment with a friend. And in times, when breathing may feel hard, allow yourself to lean on those around you who care for you. Let them help you exhale that which you have taken in.

That said, no matter what your capacity is I still encourage you, even for a moment, to breathe. In fact, try it now by following along with this reel!