“Take A Deep Breath”
When is it used?
As performers, we are subjected to a lot of stress and emotions that come with competing. Whether it is in Valorant’s First Strike competition or an intense DOTA match at home, we sometimes fall victim to experiencing unhelpful emotions and thoughts. When working during a major FIFA playoff event, I witnessed the impact such intense emotions can have. For example, from the corner of my eye I could see that one player was not happy with how their match was going. It seemed to have reached half-time and the player showed visible signs of rage; banging the desk, verbalising a colourful range of expletives, and violently throwing his body back at his chair. At that moment, the player’s coach advised to just take a deep breath and reset. To the dismay of this coach, these very common words of wisdom seemed to have been as useful as a chocolate teapot in this emotion-fuelled environment. Unsurprisingly, the player fell back into the same bad habit of focusing on what they couldn’t control and the emotional distress.
Why didn’t such golden advice work?
Well put simply, the player may not have been focusing on the action of breathing. We can all take a simple deep breath, but if our focus is elsewhere when doing it then we are unlikely to experience the intended impact of taking a deep breath. When we are advised to breathe, we forget to specify that it is not simply the act of breathing that is enough. It is being immersed and engaged in the action of the breathing that leads to its intended impact.
To understand this, give this a go.
Just take a deep breath, but focus on a specific part of your room as you do it.
Close your eyes, and whilst taking a deep breath, focus on the process of breathing.
Did you notice a difference?
By doing the latter, we are able to redirect our focus and anchor ourselves in the present moment. We take the time to focus on the physical feeling of breathing. We engage in focusing on how our chest and stomach expand like a balloon as we breathe in. We notice how our clothes morph around our body during our inhalation. Then we notice how we deflate when we breathe out. Our focus is the key! We are doing more than just automatically breathing. We are being attentive to our breathing. This is different to just sucking in air and blowing it out on autopilot.
To go back to our example, in an emotionally charged environment it may be harder to just let ourselves focus on our breathing. However, just because it’s harder it doesn’t mean it can’t and shouldn’t be done. If you want to experience the benefit of taking that deep and focused breath, then you must choose to be present in the activity.
Final words
If you’re going to advise taking a deep breath, try to help the person focus on the act of breathing. It’s not enough to just take a breath in and out. As you breathe in, notice how your body inflates and moves. As you breathe out, notice how your body deflates. Really immerse yourself in the act and notice how it physically feels to breathe. Once you’re done breathing, bring your attention back to the task that’s in front of you.