Note: This is Day 25 in the “Recharge Your Creative Batteries in 31 Days” Challenge. For the rest of July, we’ll be posting different ways for you to get yourself on the path to living in a creative flow and reaching your writing goals. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any.
Do your fingers ever get cold when you’re writing? Or maybe your fingers (and toes) are “always cold?” Or maybe you’re just “always cold” in general?
This happens to a lot of people, and the reason is their blood isn’t circulating enough oxygen through their body and to their limbs.
You can overcome this and actually get the circulation back into your body.
My Story
When I was attending the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I had a class with Dr. Andrew Weil. And in that class he taught us something I’ll never forget.
He taught us a breathing exercise that really gets air into your body and helps improve your circulation. I did that exercise every day for a few weeks to see if it worked, and I started to notice my hands weren’t cold all the time and that I didn’t really need the sweater I carry around with me everywhere.
My circulation and blood flow had improved enough to make that happen.
The exercise is simple and it will literally take about two minutes out of your day. You can even do it while you’re doing something else, like finding something to wear for work.
Note: this isn’t the exact exercise Dr. Weil taught us, it’s my variation of it. I’ve found this to be most successful for me and my clients. Feel free to adjust the seconds to fit what works for you.
Note also: I am not a doctor, this is not medical advice. I’m just showing you a technique that worked for me.
Circulation Breathing Technique
Here’s what you do:
- Breathe in through your nose for 5 seconds, really filling your lungs with air
- Hold your breath for 5 seconds
- Let the air out slowly, taking 8 seconds to release it all
- Repeat two more times
Pretty simple right? I know you can do it!
Give this technique a try. Not only is it great for circulation, but it’s extremely calming. Use it during times of stress to relax yourself.
Share With Us
How did this technique go for you?
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I learned that deep breathing technique years ago. Maybe from Jon Kabat-Zinn. I’ve found it extremely helpful when faced with a very stressful situation. It’s my “count to ten” technique.
Barb
I’m glad it helps you! I’ve been using it for reconnecting with my authentic self in moments of misalignment. Works well.
It’s good to be reminded of a simple strategy for overcoming stress. It is very relaxing and grounding. Thanks.
Definitely. Sometimes a simple deep breath is all you need!
Thanks for this tip! I’m going to try it and see how it works. I sometimes end up wearing fingerless gloves just to keep up with my work. Thanks for sharing!
Haha I used to write with fingerless gloves too! I would cut the fingers off regular gloves. My mom called them my “homeless gloves.”