It sounds simple; breathing. In and out, and we’re alive and showing up.
But while most of us are fortunate enough to do this every day (and I heartily recommend it) without much fanfare, many leaders are missing an opportunity to use breathing as a tool to be more effective.
Seriously.
How It Works
There is plenty of research that shows how breathing can help us be better leaders. Here are just a few examples.
Breathing:
- helps us decrease stress and regulate the stress hormone cortisol (so we can access our executive brain for our best thinking)
- increases optimism (every business outcome improves when our brains are positive…we make better decisions and are more creative etc.,)
- strengthens our ability to regulate our emotions (important at all times, and especially in those times we are giving difficult feedback or in uncomfortable conversations)
- reduces impulsivity (hold on to that email that may not be the best approach)
- can actually help us change and regulate our emotions (so we can connect with others and communicate in ways that are most effective)
The Strategy