Simple Breathing Practices for Stress

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

July is a busy month for a lot of us. The Fourth brings with it family barbecues, fireworks and busy Atlanta traffic. In this hectic time, staying present in the moment is extremely important—as without it, the stress of it all can make even the simplest of tasks seem insurmountable. This is where breathing comes in. It’s something we all do and in fact, to some, may seem like a ridiculous sentiment—however, our breath flow can be an extremely grounding practice that keeps you present and in the moment. An exercise we recommend is the 4-7-8 practice which studies show can calm your heartbeat and improve sleep.

Based in an ancient yogic practice known as pranayama, this practice, done over long periods of time, has even been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and improve lung function. So, how do you do this?

Well, first find a comfortable position—this can even be at your desk or standing up, whichever you prefer.

Step 1: Breathe in for 4 seconds. Try taking a deep and slow breath, focusing inwards on yourself and your body.

Step 2: Hold for 7 seconds. Thinking about your body placement and how every body part exists in a space.

Step 3: Breathe out for 8 seconds. Use this opportunity to release any tension in your body.

Allow yourself to fully relax.

And that’s all! In a short 19 seconds, you have taken steps to place yourself within a moment and be present and mindful. Anytime you feel stressed or overwhelmed, try to take just a moment of your time and breathe.

Fighting & Flighting in the Law

You have probably heard the terms “fight or flight” and “rest and digest.” Our bodies have an incredible autonomic nervous systems comprised of the sympathetic nervous system (triggers our bodies’ “fight or flight” response) and the parasympathetic nervous system (triggers our bodies to “rest and digest”). Our sympathetic nervous system is triggered by stressful situations, which helped humans survive thousands of years ago when we had to be on high alert to survive tigers chasing us. Present day triggers of our sympathetic nervous system are not necessarily life-preserving and seem to happen constantly. Anything from sitting in traffic to getting a text message can trigger our sympathetic nervous systems.

Physical signs of “fight or flight” include:

• increased heart rate

• increased blood pressure

• pale or flushed skin

• temporary loss of blunt pain response

• dilated pupils

• feeling of being on edge

• distorted memories of the event

• tenseness or trembling

The practice of law can feel like there is a tiger attacking you at every moment of the day.

Think about the day in the life of a lawyer.

You get an email from an upset and demanding client that sets your hair on fire, immediately followed by a heated phone call from opposing counsel where your heart wants to explode. Then, you have to move right on to drafting a brief because you are on a deadline and you can just feel your blood pressure rising when thinking about how much work it is going to be, just to be interrupted by a text message from your significant other asking you to come home early to let the dog out (or pick up a sick kid) because they could not make it today. You do as much work as you can on your brief and you jump in your car early just to be stuck in a traffic jam that will inevitably make you late to letting your dog out to pee. While you are in the car, you begin ruminating about the phone call you had with opposing counsel and you basically re-live the conversation, triggering your sympathetic nervous system again. I admit that as I am typing this, my own heart rate is increasing and I am feeling on edge, even though there is no tiger in the room attacking me.

The chronic triggering of our sympathetic nervous systems can be dangerous and cause long-term health problems.

The good news is that there are simple ways to calm our nervous systems, which include getting sleep, physical exercise, breathing, mediating and having a strong support group.

Not only is Wellness Jurist partnered with expert lawyers, meditation teachers, life coaches, doctors, and psychologists who teach scientifically based ways to manage stress, we are creating connection amongst lawyers so that we can support each other.

We curate courses and retreats for lawyers and law firms, aimed specifically toward the unique issues that we face as lawyers. Contact practicing lawyer and creator Betty Nguyen Davis for more details on how we can help you and your law firm.