When are you able to make the best decisions: when you are overwhelmed, or when you are calm?
In stressful moments, we have a tendency to react in a way that makes the stress worse. We get frazzled, we make irrational decisions, we multitask, we distract ourselves, or we avoid the challenge.
The next time you're feeling stressed, choose a different approach: take just one minute to get centered by using the power of your breath.
Breathing is the oldest stress relief technique in the book, for a very good reason: it works. It activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming down your natural reaction to stress. Give yourself the gift of a few breaths—so that you can respond to the challenges in front of you as the very best version of yourself.