Practice
A two-minute breath reset
The shortest thing here, and the one most worth knowing by heart.
2 minSource: Narrated

The practice
Breathe in through the nose for a count of four.
Breathe out through the mouth for a count of six.
Repeat for two minutes. The longer out-breath is the active part.
If counting makes you tense, drop it and simply make the out-breath longer than the in-breath.
When it is useful
Before a difficult call. In a car before going in. In the ten seconds after something has landed badly.
It will not fix the situation. It buys you a moment between the feeling and what you do next.
Lowering the daily stress load protects the brain and heart as much as it changes how today feels.
General information, not medical advice. Narrated never diagnoses.
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