You: Climate

The weather has been a doozy. Heat and humidity in the east, inhumane heat waves through much of the country, and fires. The rest of the world isn’t faring much better. All of this has a very personal effect on how we move and breathe.

It isn’t just about whether we feel too warm, however. It is also about how we are managing what feels so far from our control.

This can apply to any of our environments, of course, but especially now it if affecting us at work. The workplace is where we are navigating our multi-tracks of pandemic, back-to-school, and weird weather worries. It doesn’t help that we have actual work to do while we are trying to process it all.

What we need is a micro-climate

An area that is specific to you where you curate how it is all hitting you even if it is only for a dedicated portion of the day. It remains true that we manage our physiology by meeting its needs overall and managing our breathing at the moment. Taking the time to explore different breathing patterns from the excited breaths of exertion to the deep breaths of meditation is essential for managing our thoughts and well-being. It is also so valuable to speak out loud those things that give you strength and those things that worry you. Your brain, yes even the ones with chemical hiccups, is trying to aid you. It is trying to keep you alive and thriving. If you can dedicate some time to meeting it halfway or more it will have your back in that important meeting.

Today, consider a brisk walk. Or, perhaps, an isometric (such as a plank or boat). Find something that creates a manageable exertion for you and let your breathing play. Then, try some slower breaths as an antidote. If you find your words or thoughts wandering, do it again. Let me know how it goes.

Gina Razón is the Founder and CEO at GROW Voice LLC, a full-service verbal communication studio in Boston’s Back Bay.  She has over two decades of experience as a teacher of voice and speech, is a communication and change facilitator, and is a voraciously curious voice user.  Gina has worked professionally as a classical singer for over a decade and more recently as a professional public speaker.  For more information on the studio or to book Gina visit www.growvoice.com.