A few weeks ago, something my yoga instructor said really struck a chord with me. At the end of class she instructed us to “breathe in” what we wanted to improve in ourselves, and “breathe out” what wasn’t good for us. We did this together for several minutes, focusing on what we wanted to bring into our lives, and what we wanted to expel. I came out of class feeling better and more relaxed than I had felt in months.
As I was breathing, I focused on bringing positivity into my life and getting rid of negativity. Since that class, I have used this technique many, many times throughout the day; whenever I am feeling over whelmed at work, irritated in the grocery line, or stressed about parking. The best thing about this technique is that you can do it anywhere. I have been in meetings where I am speaking and breathing and thinking positively. Every breath I draw brings confidence, and every breath I exhale releases tension and doubt.
I believe that my role as a project manager requires that I maintain a positive outlook. As the leader of a team of five, my attitude greatly affects those around me, especially during late-night meetings/brainstorming sessions. Everyone wants to be somewhere other than a hot conference room at 7:30 PM on a Tuesday, but a negative attitude will make that meeting even more painful. Recently, I successfully used positive breathing to get the team happily through a last-minute late night estimation session. By taking the time to breathe, and to focus on the goal of the meeting, I was able to keep the mood light in the room and encourage everyone with smiles and feedback. We met our deliverable that night and everyone left grinning.
Breathing is something we all do naturally (we really can’t stop!). I encourage you to take that extra step; to be aware of your breath and use it to remind yourself of, really, anything you want to improve or focus on in your life. It is only through continuous focus, work and rework that we become the people that we want to be.