This is my trick to handle any stressful situation
Active Meditation is fast, invisible to others, and always dependable
You know when people tell you to count from ten backwards? Yeah, I don’t do that. My trick is to consciously breathe in the air through the nose and release through the mouth. White air in, black smoke out. Typical meditation practice. The difference is, I don’t don’t stop, sit in zen, close my eyes, none of that. I call it Active Meditation because I stay active during the whole thing. Here’s my story.
I have a bad temper
I lose it occasionally. Cash stress, work overload, kids being kids, all are only poor excuses. Shouting shouldn’t happen. It’s bad. I feel bad afterwards. Or should I say I used to? Now, when I feel a sudden rush of my fuckupness I say to myself:
white smoke in, black smoke out
At first, I slightly open my mouth and take a deep breath in. I’m surrounded with white, thick steam. I hold it for a split second and release thinking all the black, bad, energy gets out like cigarette smoke. All of it happens fast and on each breath.
That’s it. Active Meditation in a gist!
I catch myself behaving badly
I’ve been practicing Active Meditation for about two years now and even tho it still happens, it’s way less often and less explosive. When it does, I don’t beat myself. I do my best to get over it as fast as possible. I hug it out and move on. Keeping that positive vibe helps me fly.
I’m shy
Although I don’t look like, I feel very stressed out around people. I’m trying to hide it like most of us do. This world favours sharks with a massive sense of humour over workaholic ants, busting their ass off to please everyone around. I use Active Meditation at work a lot! I think there is no meeting without me thinking “white in, black out” at least once.
There is another excellent accidental perk of focusing on the breathing instead of getting deeper into arguments. It’s this silent moment when I repeat my breathing mantra. Silence makes others uncomfortable, so they make an effort to fill it up. It reminds me of a power play to some extent, but it’s not as intense and obsessive as straight up manipulation, more like a stimulation. When I let people finish and leave a quiet gap before sharing my thoughts, it makes me look like I’m thinking about what I’m about to say. 🤭
Different people advised me on many solutions
Don’t listen to people. Don’t listen to me. Get a good sense of what works for you. Try things and 💚share what works for you with others. We all know, there is no one remedy for all.
Regular meditation is ok, but it’s arranged
I’ve got a cool app called Meditation Studio, but the experience is based on me sitting down and listening to pre-recorded meditation for fifteen minutes. It feels like an appointment, and I couldn’t apply this in real life situations.
Sports are cool but require time
I work way too much to get worked up about exercising. It’s a waste of time for me. I know it’s not the full truth, but when I have to chose I pick work or band practice over physical activities. Call me lazy, but as good as it sounds to relax outside of stressful situations, like in the office or in a meeting, I still have a need to loosen right at the moment.
Playing real instruments resets my brain but also requires time
I pick playing music with my band friends even tho I don’t have any specific talents. I’m getting lost in the beats, chords, and notes, and relax big time. Yet couldn’t apply it when I’m on a meeting or a presentation.
Drugs help but have other drawbacks
Staying cool over an extended period of time is challenging. I used to depend on soft antidepressants and “other relaxants”, but my short memory suffers a lot when I’m overusing. I’m very liberal when it comes to alcohol and drugs, but it takes a strong wheel not to get sucked. It’s a balancing act.
Working on my personal brand
Active Meditation helps me stay on track regardless of my overall state of mind. It works when I’m rushing and when I struggle to sell my ideas to others. When I stop, get some distance to the situation I’m in, and let others see that I’m listening, people seem to have a better experience of interacting with me. Active Meditation keeps me safe and focused on the core of who I want to become.
