KEEP BREATHING!

Just returned from 10 days in Chamonix, France where I had some wonderful climbing adventures with my sons. As professional mountain guides, Jeff and Steve spend a great deal of time at high altitudes and are skilled at guiding clients not just up mountains, but out of their comfort zones. That was me last week… on the side of a cliff face, at 8000′ and way out of my comfort zone.
The experience provided reminders of what successful executives, educators and athletes all do under pressure… stay focused, look for solutions, breath! Breath? Among many physiological adaptations when we are in the stress response mode are changes in respiration, heart rate and blood pressure… it’s your body’s way of helping you in “fight or flight.” In a near miss car accident, once you realize you are safe, you’ll notice quick, shallow breathing, hands shaking, heart pounding. What most people don’t notice… are these same signs at a much lower level when your email box is full, voice mail is loaded and your to-do list is two pages!
High performers are in a constant monitoring state, aware of these changes and working on getting their balance back… tough with today’s overloaded schedules. Athletes do it so much in training that it becomes second nature in competition. Climbers learn to focus intensely on the present move, then taking some time to plan 2-3 moves ahead. Some things you can do in your day to day “training”? Stay focused on the most present and pressing tasks, then take time to look ahead and plan. Keep your balance - rest, fuel well, be active. And, look for solutions. When problems or frustrations occur, acknowledge, then start problem solving.
And the breathing thing… at one sketchy point on the side of that mountain, when I was most tense, my son looked down from his belay spot and said “relax dad, breath.” Knowing it is one thing, doing it under pressure takes practice!