Practice Lab From the Toolkit

The 1-Minute Reset

Sound familiar? We know how to recharge almost everything else in our lives.

One Idea: Charging Your Inner Battery

Every day, I charge my phone, sometimes twice a day. My laptop stays plugged in so I can work. I charge my watch, even my car.

Yet for years, I had no system for recharging my own energy. A few years back, with 5 a.m. calls and workdays running until 6 p.m., I needed to figure out how to sustain my energy, so I could be fully present for people at work and at home.

So I went searching. I practiced yoga, got introduced to Qigong (an ancient Chinese practice of energy cultivation), and explored breathwork and vagus nerve exercises from both Western and Eastern traditions. I'm still learning, but I discovered many tools that help me recharge my inner batteries when I need it most.

Today I want to share one of the simplest: a technique Navy SEALs use to stay calm under extreme pressure. It's called box breathing (also known as square breathing, or 4x4x4x4 breathing).

One Practice: 1-min Reset

After a hard meeting, before you move on to the next thing, pause and follow the square:

Breathe in for 4.
Hold for 4.
Breathe out for 4.
Hold for 4.

Do two rounds, then take three mindful breaths at your own pace.

You don't need to feel completely calm by the end. Some tension may still be there, and that's okay. Each reset trains your nervous system, and the more you practice, the faster and easier it becomes.

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One Question

What's your go-to way to recharge between meetings? Hit reply and tell me. I read every response.

See you next week!

With care and appreciation for your inner work,

Lucie,

Founder and fellow practitioner, MindFittery

Mental and Emotional Fitness Gym for Leaders

P.S. Want to reset together with other leaders? I facilitate a weekly Inner Fitness Circle, where we practice the skills needed to lead ourselves and others. Mental and emotional fitness is a lifelong practice, just like physical fitness. Would you like to join a sample circle as my guest? Reply to this email and I'll send you the details.

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