Stress and nerves

The body has a brake. Long exhales and cold water press it in under a minute. The rest is about not arriving at the hard thing already wound up.

Start here

Stress and nerves
The double breath
In through the nose, a second short breath on top, then a long slow exhale through the mouth. Three rounds.
1 minEvidence: worth trying

In the moment

In the moment
Cold water on the face
Cold tap, face in your hands, hold your breath, fifteen to thirty seconds. Repeat twice.
1 minEvidence: decent
In the moment
Hear it today, answer tomorrow
When criticism at work lands hard, say "Let me think about that. I'll come back to you tomorrow." Then go back tomorrow.
no timeEvidence: worth trying
In the moment
Hum for a minute
Before the hard call or the hard talk: mouth closed, one low hum on each long exhale. A minute.
1 minEvidence: worth trying
In the moment
The double breath
In through the nose, a second short breath on top, then a long slow exhale through the mouth. Three rounds.
1 minEvidence: worth trying

Ahead of it
Move before the hard thing
Presentation, interview, difficult meeting: half an hour of moderate movement, an hour or two before. A fast walk or an easy jog.
30 minEvidence: decent
Ahead of it
Ten minutes of sitting still
Sit, eyes closed, attention on your breath. When it wanders, bring it back. Ten minutes, most days.
10 minEvidence: decent
Ahead of it
Write about something else first
Before a review or a conversation you're dreading, spend ten minutes writing about something you care about that has nothing to do with it. Your kids, your trade, a friend.
10 minEvidence: worth trying

Money
Automate the boring part
Set one bill, or one small transfer to savings, to go out automatically the day your pay lands. Then stop deciding about it.
10 minEvidence: worth trying
Money
Check the account on a schedule, not a mood
Pick one fixed time a week to look at your bank account. Sunday after breakfast, say. Put it in the calendar and look then, whatever you expect to see.
10 minEvidence: worth trying
Money
Open the one you're avoiding
Pick the one letter, email or app you've been avoiding. Write down the number you think is in it. Open it now.
5 minEvidence: worth trying
Money
Say the number to one person
Tell one person you trust the actual figure you owe or are short by. Not "things are tight". The number.
5 minEvidence: worth trying

Drinking
Count it as you pour it
Each time you open or pour a drink, add a line to a note on your phone with the time. Read the note the next morning.
no timeEvidence: worth trying
Drinking
Decide the drink before you get home
Before you leave work, write one if-then line for the evening. If I want a second beer, I drink a glass of water first, then decide.
2 minEvidence: worth trying
Drinking
Pick the drink-free days before the week starts
On Sunday, choose the days this week you won't drink and put them in the calendar. Then Wednesday at six isn't a decision.
2 minEvidence: worth trying
Drinking
Take the three-question check
Search for AUDIT-C and answer the three questions for an ordinary week, not your best one. Or ask your doctor to go through it with you.
2 minEvidence: solid
Drinking
Water between drinks
After each drink, have a glass of water before the next one. If you're out, order them together.
no timeEvidence: worth trying