Staying Calm In Any Situation Is Stupid Easy - According To A Former Navy SEAL

Has your job ever put you in a situation of great stress that you have not been able to control?

Like a pile of paperwork that should be ready by Monday first thing in the morning and it's Friday at 5.

We have all felt panic take over our bodies. Maybe it wasn't your job, maybe it was for another reason.

So the other day it occurred to me: "How do people who have highly stressful jobs do?" As firefighters, rescuers, policemen, or soldiers.

I focused particularly on soldiers, as they are trained for years to respond to various dangerous situations. Surely in their training, there must be something about staying calm.

I started doing a little research and found just what I needed. How Navy SEALs are taught to stay calm while in danger.

If someone has a technique to keep cool in the middle of the battlefield, they can help us in the office. I don't think you should dodge bullets or jump from choppers in your workplace. Unless you work in an advertising agency.

Control your body to control your mind

Evidently, the Navy SEALs are trained to respond to anything that may arise. Literally anything. If they are unable to remain calm, all their training will be for nothing.

The technique is very simple and has no secret or magic formula to achieve it. Literally, any of us can try it at any time.

It's basically about controlling your body to control your mind. For that, you must first listen to your body. Before we have panic or stress attacks, we often see warning signs.

We all respond differently, but the signs are always there. Excessive sweating, tingling in the hands, rapid breathing, pounding heartbeat.

When you know your body you can sense when a situation is costing you your calm. The good side is that you can jump into action before it's too late.

The breathing box

You would expect the Navy SEAL technique to require some kind of advanced medicine or device, but it really is as easy as breathing.

I'm kidding you not.

Only the world's most prepared and deadly soldiers are taught to breathe properly on the battlefield. No CIA pills, no brain chips.

The technique is to breathe slowly and deeply.

How slow and deep?

Think of the 4x4 second rule or the breathing box.

Inhale for 4 seconds. Hold the air in your lungs for 4 seconds. Exhale for 4 seconds. Keep your lungs empty for 4 seconds.

Maintain that rhythm when you start to see signs in your body that you are losing your cool.

You can help yourself by closing your eyes or focusing on an object fixedly.

The science behind this is the regulation of oxygen in the blood and the control of blood flow.

Higher oxygen levels and lower CO2 levels help your nervous system respond to danger and stress.

So the next time you feel like you're buried in paperwork or your convoy is intercepted in an ambush, remember the breath box.

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