One of the quickest ways to let go of the stress in “stressful problems” is to manage your breathing.

When you’re focusing deeply on a task or challenge, it’s easy to forget to breathe properly. Of course, breathing is typically an automatic process. But you may be surprised at how often it gets disrupted when facing a stressful or difficult situation.

Instead of taking full, slow diaphragmatic breaths (from the belly instead of the upper chest), it’s easy to slip into the habit of taking short, shallow breaths—or holding your breath altogether.

This kind of disrupted breathing can trigger the “fight-flight-freeze” response of your sympathetic nervous system, throwing you into an anxious state and making it that much harder to think clearly.

The next time you’re feeling stressed while working on a business task or challenge, try this quick experiment:

(Note—please DON’T try this exercise if you have any health issues that may be exacerbated by changes in your breathing.)

• Notice if your breathing is rapid or shallow, or if you’re holding your breath altogether.
• Take a slow (but comfortable) diaphragmatic breath in through your nose, then exhale fully out of your mouth (like a long sigh).
• Repeat that for 3-5 breaths, then go back to breathing normally.

For most of my life, I struggled with the constant feeling of low-level anxiety while working on certain types of problems and projects. When I started to pay attention to my breathing, I noticed that I tended to unconsciously hold my breath while immersed in a task.

A single deep inhale and full exhale would bring an immediate feeling of deep relaxation, clearing my mind and making it much easier to focus for longer periods of time.

Now, whenever I start to feel even the tiniest bit anxious, I remind myself to check in with my breathing. I even put up a sticky note next to my desk that says “SLOW BREATHS—Slow, deep exhale.”

What will you do today to start managing your state by tapping into the power of breath?

Will you start paying closer attention to your breathing when you’re feeling anxious or stressed out?