When tension narrows your focus and clouds your judgment, a single breath can change everything. Discover how to interrupt the anxiety, regain your perspective, and remember that every difficult moment is only temporary.
One Positive Action: Remind Yourself That This Moment Will Pass
If you've ever fired off an email while you were wound up and then reread it an hour later with your stomach dropping, you already know what tension does to your judgment.
When you're tense, your focus narrows. Your brain locks onto the one thing that feels like a threat and stops taking in everything else. This survival instinct is useful if you're being chased by something, but it is pretty unhelpful if you're trying to answer your boss or have a hard conversation with someone you love. You end up making decisions with about half the information you'd normally have.
Interrupt the Tunnel Vision When things get difficult, a few slow, deep breaths or a strong affirmation that resonates with you can be enough to interrupt the tense tunnel vision for a few seconds.
This short pause should be all you need to remember that you already have the resources to handle these situations; you just need to exercise them.
Remind yourself that this moment will pass.
Whatever you are experiencing right now is only temporary, and it will pass. Don’t allow this one moment to take control of your body and mind. Your challenges will not last forever. A new reality will take shape, and you will find a way to keep moving forward.
Your Action Step The next time you feel your shoulders creeping up to your ears and your heart pounding, remember to take a second and tell yourself:
"This is only temporary; I’ve gotten through worse!"
Then, take a deep breath and take this new challenge head-on.