I did something shameful Monday morning because I felt pressed for time, but if I had just taken 11 seconds to breathe I could’ve avoided the whole mishegas.
In a rush to get my workday going, I shelled out $3.75 for a cup of coffee. Drip coffee. A 16-ounce cup. If you think this was a good decision, you can stop reading.
Still with me? Now, we can all agree spending that much on plain coffee was a bad decision. The coffee came from the new fancy stand in our office lobby that sells buttered toast for $2.50. It’s fast and convenient — and just stupid expensive — to grab something there on the way to the elevators. You can grab a cup from a street cart in New York for $1.25 or get a basic grande coffee at Starbucks around the corner for $2.45.
I wasn’t late for a meeting. I truly had time to go elsewhere. I could’ve even gotten a cup of free coffee in our offices. But I was feeling impatient, like I didn’t have time. That feeling — like you have no time to spare — is increasingly common, particularly among working parents.
–
“It eliminated the negative effects of feeling more conflict,” said Etkin, who also told me that she often takes a few deep breaths at moments of conflict to bring herself back to equilibrium.
I tried the breathing thing this morning on my way into the office. And it worked! I did not spend any portion of my children’s college savings account on a hot drink. Maybe it was just shame holding me back. Or the need for an ending to this article. Either way, it’s a simple enough tactic that Etkin and her fellow researchers have proven works.
If you’re feeling like you have no time, take the 11 seconds and try it yourself.
