The podcast for GPs, hospital doctors and other professionals in high-stakes, high-stress jobs who want to thrive rather than just survive. You studied for years, you’re really good at what you do but you’ve noticed that you’re starting to feel overwhelmed, overworked and under-resourced. You may be comparing yourself to a frog in boiling water - the heat has built up so slowly that you haven’t noticed the extra-long days becoming the norm. You may feel on the edge and trapped in the very job that you’ve spent years working towards. Here’s the problem, frogs only have two choices; stay and be boiled alive, or jump out of the pan. The good news is that you are not a frog. You have many more choices than you think you do. You don’t have to quit, and nor should stress and burnout be inevitable. It is possible to be master of your own destiny, to craft your work life and career so that you can thrive even in the most difficult of situations. There are simple changes you can make which will make a huge difference to your stress levels and help you enjoy life again...
https://youarenotafrog.com
episode 68: The Revolutionary Art of Breathing with Richard Jamieson
This week, Richard Jamieson joins us to discuss how using breathing techniques can help you de-stress and keep calm.
Episode Highlights
[05:14] The Accessibility Of Breathwork
- Practising meditation and mindfulness helps cope with stress.
- They’re accessible to everyone.
[08:09] What Does Breathing Do To The Body?
- When we take control of our breath, we can decrease our stress and agitation.
[14:59] Breathing Techniques
- The first step is to bring awareness to the breath.
- Wondering what to look for when observing your breathing? Tune in to the episode to learn more.
[17:48] Long-Term View For Breathing
- The ideal breath is around five and a half seconds on the inhale and exhale respectively.
- Devote some minutes of your day to developing breathing techniques.
[19:11] Breathing Rate And Heart Rate Variability
- We also need to look at heart rate variability.
- Low heart rate variability means an accumulation of stress.
- We can increase heart rate variability through slower and coherent breathing.
[22:23] Finding Balance
- Chronic stress can create a pattern of holding our breath or breathing too quickly.
- Practising proper breathing techniques allows us to find the right carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in our bodies.
- We can balance our body’s needs.
[29:19] Beating Stress
- When you feel like you’re breathing too fast, try using your fingers to count off your inhales and exhales.
- To calm yourself down, exhale longer than your inhale.
- To activate yourself, inhale longer than your exhale.
[34:26] Holotropic Breathwork
- This induces an altered state of consciousness in a dark room with evocative music.
- For Richard, this kind of breathwork is a psychological detox.
[43:25] Summary Of Breathing Tips
- Remember ART: awareness, regulation, and transformation.
- Bring awareness to your breath.
- Regulate yourself through coherent breathing.
- Explore different breathing techniques.
Enjoyed This Podcast?
- Write a review and share this with your friends.
- Sign up for a FREE workbook.
- Join the Shapes Collective Facebook group.
- Find out more about our training here.
- Email Rachel or reach her on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Podcast Links:
- Richard’s website
- Permission to Thrive for doctors
- Breath by James Nestor
- Breathe by Dr Ela Manga
- Just Breathe by Dan Brulé
- Listen to Deepak Chopra on Feel Better, Live More with Rangan Chatterjee
Mentioned in this episode:
Take our quiz
And receive your personalised You Are Not a Frog podcast episode playlist!
Join the Shapes Academy – Special offer ends November 13th
Escape the overwhelm, support your team, and love your work again.