A new technician started working back in the pharmacy some time ago. After the initial ‘newness’ wore off and she was more comfortable with our working relationship, she commented that I sighed a lot; often quite heavily. Of course there was no suitable response. She was correct. Then after a few months later, she too began to sigh; often quite heavily, I might add. When I called her on it, there really wasn’t a suitable response. I was correct.
To maintain my pharmacy license, I need thirty hours of Continuing Education every two years. Ten of those must be live. Yes, that means I either have to sit in front of the computer listening to some boring ass lecture on who knows what and type a comment here or there just to prove my attendance OR I have to sit in a banquet hall at the local hotel listening to some boring ass lecture on who knows what. Considering my computer skills and inability to tolerate online anything, I choose the latter. And it always seems to be that the boring ass lecture is on the most perfectly beautiful day.
So, since the temperature was 74.3 in October, the sky was the most pristine blue possible, and the leaves where just beginning to change, I decided to attend one such event. And, … I’m glad I did. Yes, you read correctly. It was a great seminar. The topic was “Calming the Overactive Brain”. Though some contend that I don’t have a brain at all, let alone an overactive one. The subtopics were interesting – sleep disturbances, anxiety disorders, and how proper breathing technique – see where this is going – influences pretty much everything.
One particular interesting tidbit described DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHS. These are way cool. It’s like a sigh without all the negative connotations. The instructor took it even one step further. Proposing the following exercise.
Inhale slowly for 3 seconds, hold for 1 second, then exhale deliberately for 4 seconds, saying three positive words. Doing this randomly throughout the day should curb the ‘anxious response’ to a more manageable level. He probably never worked retail. Since I’m certain he does deal with some really challenged individuals. So, it might work.
As I writer though, I realized there was a problem. Consider the following sentences –
He sighed heavily.
He exhaled diaphragmatically.
See what I mean?
