Nudged: Breathe deeply

I hit the ground running pretty much every morning and don’t stop till I collapse on the couch to eat dinner. (Yes, I know I should be setting a pretty table and eating there. That’s a Nudge for another day.) This week’s Nudge is designed to get me into the habit of pausing and checking in with myself on a regular basis.

Here’s my goal: At least once every day, stop whatever I’m doing and take 10 deep breaths. Maybe I’ll do a short meditation at the same time, or maybe I’ll simply breathe.

I feel calmer just thinking about this.

What Happened: I want to back up and provide a little more context for this Nudge. A couple of weeks ago, I got a call that a family member was “in transition.” (They’ve since rallied.) A flurry of activity followed, as I traveled to be with family and we all hustled to take care of the many details and decisions and tasks that come with this phase of life.

I met with members of the hospice team, and along with information about how to support the person who was preparing to pass, I was given instructions on how to take care of myself. One of those notes was simply “Take a deep breath several times a day.”

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d taken a deep breath.

Everything was adrenalin and hustle and worry and….

Take a deep breath.

Take another deep breath.

I started then, but realized I wasn’t sticking with it when things amped back up. So this Nudge came at the perfect time for me.

Happy to report, this Nudge was easy. In bed waiting for the alarm to go off (breathe), standing under a stream of hot water in the shower (breathe), pausing on a walk while the dog sniffed the latest news (when I took the featured photo), on hold for a call, on the front porch between rainfalls, first moments in the kitchen during transition time from client work to dinner prep, last minutes of the day before drifting off to sleep. There were several opportunities during the day to practice this Nudge, and I’m pleased with myself for remembering in the moment to do it.

The Ah-Hahs: Life didn’t slow down or get less chaotic this week. I did. All because I stopped for a moment to breathe.