How Three Seconds Changed the Way I Handle Stress
Three seconds is all you need. No, really.
You may feel that managing your stress is a time-intensive process and, therefore, out of reach. But what if I told you it takes a mere three seconds to rewire your brain for less stress and more resilience?
It’s called Stop-Breathe-Be, and it quite literally changed the course of my life.
The Mechanics of Stop-Breathe-Be
The instructions of this three-second brain reset are in the name:
1) STOP: Stop what you are doing. Get grounded in the present moment.
2) BREATHE: Take one deep, intentional breath in and out.
3) BE: Bring your attention to the here and now. Just be.
The Stop-Breathe-Be technique can be practiced throughout your day, but it is most effective during transition points: the mad dash at school drop-off, scrambling to make it to work on time, entering the boardroom (or Zoom room) for a meeting, making dinner in a chaotic kitchen. The possibilities to bring Stop-Breathe-Be into your life are endless.
Why It Works
This simple brain reset helps to rewire your brain for less stress by tapping into your mind-body connection. It quells your anxious thoughts because anxiety is a future-focused emotion, focused on the “what ifs.”
What if I fail? What if this doesn’t go well? What if I embarrass myself? (The list of what-ifs is limitless.)
Stop-Breathe-Be acts like a circuit-breaker for what-if thinking. It shifts your anxious thoughts away from “what if” and back to “What IS” in the here and now.
How Stop-Breathe-Be Changed My Life for the Better
When I learned this science-backed stress reset, I was a medical resident working 80 hours a week. Early in my medical training, I was taught the mantra “pressure makes diamonds” by a professor. When my mental health suffered under the impossible strain of work and life, I told myself, “You’re a diamond in the making.”
Then, my diamond cracked.
I experienced what felt like a stampede of wild horses stomping across my chest for weeks. When I finally found my way out of my stress struggle, I vowed to become the doctor I needed during that difficult time.
Stop-Breathe-Be was my first sliver of hope. I learned this in a course called “Mindfulness for Healthcare Providers” taught by Dr. Michael Baime at the University of Pennsylvania. I still remember what he taught us about this technique: “You know the intensity you’re feeling as you’re living your life? Every single person feels that same intensity living their life. Remember that as you move through the world as a doctor treating patients.”
That moment crystallized something deep for me. I’ve thought about his words often.
I first practiced Stop-Breathe-Be while standing in the doorway of the exam room in my clinic. As I knocked on the door to see a patient, I’d say under my breath, “Stop. Breathe. Be.” Initially, I practiced it 30 to 40 times a day (each time I entered a patient’s room). At first, it took three seconds of measured effort, but it soon became effortless. It helped me quell my anxious thoughts and dial down my stress and burnout. I found a moment of calm and clarity in spite of my external environment being entirely unchanged.
Over time, I started to practice Stop-Breathe-Be at home, too, typically during mundane, repetitive tasks when my mind would wander: brushing my teeth, washing dishes, doing the laundry. I still practice Stop-Breathe-Be almost daily. It grounds me when the world around me feels like a shifting landscape. What I didn’t understand then that I do now is that Stop-Breathe-Be was rewiring my brain by activating my mind-body connection.
Your Mind-Body Connection
This may be the first time you’re hearing the term “mind-body connection,” but it has been at work in the background for most of your life. Your brain and body are in constant communication and inextricably linked. Think of the butterflies you feel when falling in love, sweaty palms before an important conversation, or your face flushing after an embarrassing moment. These are some common instances of your mind-body connection at work.
The premise that your thoughts and feelings can directly affect your body in both positive and negative ways is central to what defines your mind-body connection. Like gravity, it exists even without you acknowledging it. Stop-Breathe-Be allows you to tap into your mind-body connection and actively influence it. When practiced repeatedly, this three-second brain reset can help you rewire your brain for less stress, more resilience, and better mental health.
This week’s mental health reset: Choose one activity you do daily, and start practicing Stop-Breathe-Be with it. As you become more comfortable with the technique, bring it into other areas of your life. With time, practice, and patience, you will master the art of this three-second brain reset and reap its mental health benefits.
Until next week,
Simple and effective. 👍