Take a Breath

I was reading a book about trekking through the Himalayas last week.  As part of my self-care I like to make sure that I read things that don’t pertain to anything I do as part of my work life.  However, there were a few paragraphs that jumped out as me as being very important for advocates and survivors. 

The writer was describing how difficult it is to hike at high altitudes.  The oxygen is thin at those altitudes and the effort of climbing over rocks with a heavy backpack can make one feel that she just won’t be able to make it to the next hospitality stop.  The views can also take one’s breath away.  The writer went on to describe a trick that high altitude trekkers use when the going gets tough.  They breathe.  They take ten steps and stop to take ten very deep breaths and then take ten more steps and repeat.  It may feel like slow going but at the end of the day the goal is reached.

I tried it out.  I was biking in unfamiliar territory one day.  I had mapped the route ahead of time but had not paid attention to the fact that there was a half mile stretch that was uphill on a gravel road.  I decided I would need to walk it.  Normally I would force myself to just trudge up the hill and stop when I was out of breath and probably in pain.  I would be red-faced, sweating, and gasping for air.  However, on that day I decided to try the breathing technique they use in the Himalayas.  It was just a New Hampshire hill and not K2 so I modified the technique a little.  I counted fifty steps and then stopped to take ten deep cleansing breaths whether I felt I needed the or not.  I found that not only did I make it to the top of the hill without gasping for air but that I felt pretty good when it was all done.  At the time I was stopping to breath I thought it was just slowing me down, but then I realized that by taking the time to stop and breath I was less likely to need a longer rest period once I reached the top. 

I talked to two different groups of advocates last week and I asked them why they felt they couldn’t do self-care.  The number one reason was “I don’t have time.”  Many felt that they were too exhausted at the end of the day to do anything and some felt that it would be selfish to take time away from family members in order to take care of themselves. 

Advocates often feel like they are trying to climb mountains.  There are obstacles and demands on energy that can make one feel like she will never reach the goal.  When we are under stress we actually do not breathe as well.  Our breaths can become shallow and we take in less oxygen, causing us to tire more quickly and lose the ability to focus.   If mindful  breathing can be a part of your  day it may help to dispel some of the exhaustion that can go along with doing this work.  Take a breath before you pick up the phone.  Take a few breaths before you open a door, as you shift between tasks, or before you get out of your car.  Find some way to remind yourself to do so.  There are plenty of apps on the market or there is even a bracelet you can buy that vibrates to remind you to take a moment to breath.  This blogger has a number of techniques she uses to remind herself to take a break:  http://healingwhole.blogspot.com/2011/05/take-break-create-mindfulness-reminders.html

Remember, though, self care is as important to being able to do your job as it is to have nice clothes to wear to court or have gas in your car to get there.  Find ways to incorporate it into your day or you may find yourself clinging to the side of the mountain.  

The pictures in this post were taken in Tibet in 2007.  Mount Everest is over my left shoulder in the above picture.