Breathe in, Stress Out: Mastering Your Breathing

Breathe in, Stress Out: Mastering Your Breathing

Welcome to Effective Habits, a weekly newsletter where I share evidence-based strategies and tools to help you live a happy, healthy, and productive life.

Today at a Glance:

• You Become What You Focus On

• How to Breathe Correctly for Optimal Health, Mood, Learning & Performance

• Choose a Highlight To Make Time Every Day

You Become What You Focus OnDarius Foroux

Lights, Camera, ... Attention is a valuable commodity, and everyone wants a piece of it. From social media to streaming services, we are bombarded with notifications and information all day long. But what we choose to focus on has a significant impact on our thoughts, actions, and ultimately, the outcome of our lives. So, it's time to take control of your attention and be mindful of what you're consuming.Action!

1. Turn off all non-essential notifications on your phone. Let the choice of when to engage with certain apps be yours.

2. Use social media to connect with people, not as a source of information. If you do choose to use it for information, be aware of its limitations and biases.

3. Acquire knowledge, not just information. When you read, watch or listen to something, ask yourself whether it’s worth your time.

4. Follow a few writers online whose work you value, instead of trying to follow everyone. Consume content that's relevant to you, and ignore everything else.

How to Breathe Correctly for Optimal Health, Mood, Learning & PerformanceDr. Andrew Huberman

Lights, Camera, ...Breathing isn't just a mindless action - it's a powerful tool that can help you improve your mental and physical health, boost your performance, and even enhance your facial aesthetics! But, do you know how to breathe properly? Should you breathe through your nose or mouth, fast or slow, deliberately or reflexively? The podcast episode covers the science of breathing and how to use breathwork to optimize learning, memory, and reaction time, and even relieve cramps and hiccups. The best thing - breathwork practices require minimal time and cost and can improve your quality of life.Action!

• Improve your breathing by prioritizing nasal breathing whenever possible. This helps increase oxygen intake, improves sleep (apnea), and supports respiratory health. Try sleeping with medical tape on your mouth to train yourself to breathe through your nose during sleep.

• Reduce stress and improve your mood with cyclic sighing. Inhale deeply through your nose, take a second sharp inhale, then exhale completely, and repeat for five minutes per day. Once is enough for immediate relief, but 5 minutes will reduce stress for a full 24 hour cycle.

• Relieve right side stitches/cramps by performing the physiological sigh two to three times. You can do this even while running.

• Eliminate hiccups by inhaling three times in a row. Take one deep and then 2 more sharp inhales through your nose, hold your breath for 15 to 20 seconds, and then exhale slowly.

• To improve your breathing pattern and optimize oxygen and carbon dioxide ratios, take these actions:

  • Measure your carbon dioxide (CO2) tolerance by inhaling deeply through your nose and exhaling as slowly as possible while timing yourself. If it takes 20 seconds or less to empty your lungs, your CO2 tolerance may be lower; if it takes 25-40 seconds, you have moderate tolerance, and if it takes 50 seconds or longer, your tolerance is high.

  • Practice box breathing for two minutes per day. Inhale, hold, exhale, and hold again for equal durations. For low CO2 tolerance, do each side of the box for 3 seconds. For moderate tolerance, do 5 to 6 seconds, and for high tolerance, do 8 to 10 seconds.

Choose a Highlight To Make Time Every DayJake Knapp & John Zeratsky

Lights, Camera, ...Feeling overwhelmed by the constant demands of everyday life? You're not alone. The Busy Bandwagon culture tells us to do more, but that just leads to more stress and less time. So how can we slow down and make time for what truly matters? By choosing a daily Highlight. This is the one activity, accomplishment, or moment you want to savor and focus on each day. By setting a Highlight, you become proactive in choosing how you spend your time, rather than just reacting to emails and other people's agendas. You'll also create a focal point for your day, which can increase your sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.Action!

• Choose a daily highlight for each day. This highlight should be an activity that makes you feel accomplished by the end of the day even if it is the only thing you did that day. Here are three ways to help pick your highlight: 1. Identify the Urgent Task: Look for projects that are time-sensitive, important, and medium in size. Choose the task that absolutely, positively must be accomplished today. Examples could include creating a price quote, sending emails, or finishing a school project. 2. Find Satisfaction: Choose a project that will bring you the most satisfaction. Consider projects you’ve been meaning to get around to but haven’t found the time for. Think about the sense of accomplishment locked inside each potential task. Examples could include finishing a proposal or writing a certain number of words for a novel. 3. Focus on Joy: Think about what will bring you the most joy. Do something you like doing just because you enjoy it. It doesn't have to be productive or efficient. Examples could include attending a party, mastering a new song, or having lunch with a co-worker. 

TOOL TIP

YouTube Summary with ChatGPT: A free online tool that let's you quickly access the summary of the YouTube videos you are watching with OpenAI's ChatGPT AI technology. Use this extension to save time and learn quicker.

FUN FACT 

62% of people who brush their teeth rinse their mouth out with water, which actually makes tooth decay more likely. The water removes much of the fluoride that would have lingered after brushing.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We are not liable for any risks or issues that may arise from using this information.