This time of year can be stress-inducing.

Making sure your holiday shopping is done.
Preparing for travel, or for others to visit.
Wrapping up year-end details at work.
Finalizing planning for the next year (budgets, staffing, etc.).

In moments like this when the pressure is on, here are a few tips to keep your head on straight.

1. Breathe in a Box
   Navy SEALs are no strangers to stressful situations. That’s why they have a technique called Box Breathing that helps them make good decisions under pressure. It is almost like an incredibly simple meditation process. By focusing on your breathing, you make sure you’re providing oxygen to your brain while re-engaging your prefrontal cortex–where we process decision-making. This helps us quiet our survival instincts that often cloud our judgement during high stress moments.

   QuietKit.com has a great animation that guides you through the breathing exercise.
   Here are the directions:

   1. Inhale for 4 seconds (as the circle expands)
   2. Hold your lungs full for 4 seconds (as the circle stays fully expanded)
   3. Exhale for 4 seconds (as the circle shrinks)
   4. Hold your lungs empty for 4 seconds (as the circle is contracted)

   

2. Keep a Totem
   When I participated in Seth Godin’s altMBA course, I received a large, decorative coin. I wondered what it would be used for. Seth recommended we carry the coins with us daily to serve as a reminder of the course’s principles. Phrases are engraved on the coin.
   “Embrace Tension”
   “Do the Hard Part First”
   “Seek Out Emotional Labor”
   “Dance With Fear”
   “Keep Making a Ruckus”

   When I’m making difficult decisions, I often think of the coin and pull it out. It reminds me of the kind of decisions I want to make and the path I want to take (also, when we meet with fellow altMBA alumni, we will show our coins as a sign of solidarity).

   A bracelet or ring could do the same for you. Have a phrase engraved onto it that reinforces the kinds of decisions YOU want to make. It will serve as a reminder at the moment you are making critical decisions.

3. Remember Who You Are
   In her book Braving the Wilderness, Dr. Brene Brown talks about meeting Maya Angelou, a hero of hers. She shared a short version of the story here.

   As we were introduced, I told Dr. Angelou that I often played a recording of her reciting lines from the hymn “I Shall Not Be Moved” for my grad students, and she grabbed my hand and sang, “Just like a tree planted by the water, I shall not be moved.” To this day, when I’m having trouble being the real me, I think of that moment: It was one of the most meaningful professional experiences of my life.

   Dr. Brown used this reinforcement from Maya Angelou to remind her to be herself and it has helped her have a unique voice in psychology, business and faith. She isn’t afraid to speak like herself, with the occasionally colorful language that shows her spunk. She isn’t afraid to dress like herself in jeans and boots, even when other speakers are dressed to the nines. This helps people find her relatable and approachable.

   If you commit to being that tree planted by the water, not moving, then you won’t compromise yourself and will be able to more easily speak from your heart in critical moments.