Test prep tip: control your breath
November 13th, 2009
As an American citizen I want to offer prayers and gratitude for all at Fort Hood, those in uniform and their military families.
Secondly, as a performance psychologist, I want to salute to Sgt. Munley and Senior Sgt. Todd. Between the two of them they saved many unarmed soldiers from the gunman’s firings. Their shining courage, strength and selfless service have become examples from which we can all learn. Oprah asked them how they do what they do in the midst of such horrific confusion and chaos? Here’s what they said ( I’m paraphrasing)…
Sgt. Munley: “I control my breathing to stay out of shock…then my rigorous training which has become my second nature go into action.”
Senior Sgt. Todd: “I know I have to calm down and relax. I breathe.”
I have been traveling around the country teaching the 3-legged performance model. Frequently, because of time constraints, I have to choose one ‘leg’ to go into detail in the talk. So, what ‘leg’ to choose?
Invariably I choose the calm leg. Here’s why.
There are only three basic ways we human beings lose our sense of calm. The most common way is we stop breathing or we breathe irregularly.
When your breath has stopped or it is irregular, chances are that your thoughts are jumping around and you are worrying about your future (What’s going to happen…) or you are dwelling on the past (If only I had…)
When your breath is steady and regular, and you are able to be in the present moment, then your brain is free to deal with the task at hand.
Conscious attention to the breath puts you firmly here, now. And that’s just where you have to be when you take a test. You must deal with the question in front of you, right now. It doesn’t matter what you did yesterday (past) or what you’re going to do tomorrow (future), you have to think and answer test questions now, in the present.
This is hard to do if your thinking is restless, if you’re anxious about what’s going to happen, or if you’re endlessly replaying what already went wrong.
The remedy to this situation is not mind control. It’s breath control. With regular, steady breathing you can be in the present and give your full attention to the question in front of you. Your thinking will be clearer. You will be calm.
If you, like me and many people, are not always aware of your breathing habits, try observing yourself over the next day or so. For 24 hours, check in regularly with your body and ask yourself, How am I breathing?
You might be surprised to discover that sometimes you have stopped breathing or that your breath is very shallow or erratic. If you start feeling anxious-about an upcoming test or a speech you have to give-immediately pay close attention to your breath. Chances are it has stopped, or is shallow or irregular.
Begin recording your observations of how and when you disconnect by not breathing in a steady, deep way.
Again, thank you, Sgt Munley, thank you, Senior Sgt. Todd, for putting your lives on the line totally and selflessly. You are teaching the entire nation in a huge way.
