Chill Out & Get Resilient Cheatsheet

Here are all of the strategies I use to keep calm and carry on. I’ve got some advice on controlling anxiety through breathing, decompression routines, a reading list, a watching list, and some apps to check out. On the app list, I personally use only the Waking Up and Box Breathing apps, but some people like the other apps I’ve listed. If you want a free month of the Waking Up app, email me at anthony.w.landreth@gmail.com.

Tips

• Cut back on coffee/tea/stimulants.
• Systematize energy management.
• Build a Routine Schedule to reduce decision fatigue and encourage self-care.
• Focus on hydration (dehydration increases anxiety).
• Set time aside for daily chillout rituals.
• Don’t eat bullshit food. Interpret that how you will.
• Take a walk.
• Timebox your consumption of news to 15 minutes.
• Do not consume news near bedtime.
• Have an orgasm, however that works for you.

Example Chillout Rituals

A morning ritual:

• meditate (prep your mindset for the day)
• tidy (get control of your environment)

Midday:

• check on your breathing
• drink a pint of water

In the evening:

• dim the lights
• drink an herbal tea (no caffeine)
• get some omega-3’s / reduce inflammation
• do some breathwork
• foam roll
• stretch
• listen to an audiobook

How to Breathe For Relaxation

Your goal is a 1:2 ratio of inhalation to exhalation time, keeping your chest relaxed. If belly breathing is unfamiliar, see “Learn How to Breathe From Your Belly” below. Shake hands with your diaphragm.

• Breathe in through your nose, relaxing your chest, using your belly, for a count of 4 seconds.
• When you breathe in, breathe lightly, inaudibly.
• Exhale for a count of 8 seconds, sighing quietly.

Adopt the Concept of Inner Game

From Breathing for Warriors by Belisa Vranich and Brian Sabin:

Inner game… is being self-confident, effortlessly focusing on the task at hand without dwelling on what happened before or what will happen later. It’s not allowing past injuries to create limiting assumptions; it’s disallowing self-defeating chatter in your head; it’s refusing to be plagued by self-doubts when the going gets rough. Your inner game is something you should be working on continually.

If you don’t already have an inner game, the resources below will help you build one.

Resources