Life lessons from an asthmatic - Takeaways (Part 2)
In the last post, I shared about my experience overcoming severe asthma. In this post I leave you with the lessons you can apply to breathe better, more and… live a more fulfilled life.
Lessons and takeaways..
1. Shut your mouth and breathe through your nose.
This has been a game changer for me. From recovering quicker from hard anaerobic sessions, improving my pace/gait in running, sleeping better (I’ve now resorted to taping my mouth with surgical tape when I sleep to prevent mouth breathing..this has actually improved my sleep as well!), to getting out of mild asthma attacks. This has literally been a game changer. A pity I’ve only just discovered it. I highly recommend you check out James Nestor’s book “Breath: The new science of a lost art.”. It goes into how and why you should consider nasal breathing but beyond that, how dysfunctional breathing patterns/positions have contributed to chronic disease and the de-evolution of the human species (amongst many other insights).
TAKEAWAY
Practice nasal breathing as much as possible. Really focussing on taking deep breaths in and out through your nose at work, when you are out in nature, training…really all day, every day.
2. When you are stressed, get back to the breath.
I remember having a pretty severe attack on a 7 hour flight years ago with no inhaler in sight (I left it in my check in luggage..duh!) plus the flight attendants weren’t very helpful too. I had no choice but to come back to the breath, regulating it while remaining calm. The attack ceased after an hour or so (phew!) And if I knew then what I now know, I would zero in on nasal breathing.
TAKEAWAY
You can’t control what happens to you but you can control what what happens within you. You can’t control your heart rate, the thoughts/emotions that bubble up, BUT you can focus on your breath. Here are 2 techniques to use in triggering situations:
The 3 breath rule: Take 3 deep breaths 5 seconds in 5 seconds out..respond after.
Pause, Breathe, Think then Act (‘Breathe’ element: Incorporate the 3 breath rule)
As Vicktor Frankl once said “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.” and that space is your breath!
3. Have a daily breath practice.
For a year now I have incorporated box breathing and other pranayamas as part of my morning ritual. I also pepper in short lung training sessions with my airofit breath trainer throughout the day (I call them ‘spot drills’). These practices have allowed me to expand my lung capacity, remain calm during times of stress and find presence in the moment.
YOUR TAKEAWAY
The simplest breath practice you can incorporate is box breathing. Schedule this into your day. Anywhere from a 3-5 min to a 20 min session (this would be optimal). If you are wanting try it, I run you through a quick session here.
4. Eat clean, live dirty and eliminate your triggers.
What improved my condition significantly was shifting from a ‘carnivorous’ diet to a 100% whole foods plant-based diet. Eliminating animal protein (and dairy in particular) was instrumental in helping me achieve optimal health. Though not completely gone, my asthma improved significantly. Beyond that, joint issues and inflammation around my body went away. My digestion and training recovery improved tenfold. Next, was eliminating conventional home cleaning and body care products contain highly toxic and allergenic ingredients. I have loved cats all my life so much as it was a trigger in my earlier years, my body adapted to cat fur as the years passed (so I am not planning to eliminate Chubbs lol) plus, Chubbs is adding to the family’s microbiome diversity daily.
YOUR TAKEAWAY
Move closer to a whole foods plant-based diet for optimal health. What does a whole foods plant-based diet consist of? Whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits and vegetables.
Opt for natural/plant-based and minimally scented cleaning and body care products.
Lean into Eustress (positive and self initiated) and try to eliminate or better manage Distress (negative and unwanted). Here’s further reading on it.
In an over sanitised culture and environment, get back to nature, let your kids play in the dirt, receive untapped licks from your pets, walk barefoot in nature. Every part of your body is covered in microscopic creatures. This includes bacteria, viruses and fungi. A diverse microbiome internally and externally builds a strong immune system.
How are your social connections serving you? What value do they bring to you? Are they supporting your journey to growth or fuelling self doubt and angst? Detoxify from toxic friends and energies on and off line. Beyond this, practice self reflection. Realise that what triggers you about something or someone is within you. It is also serves as an opportunity to learn something about yourself. Nothing or no one is capable making you feel a certain way without your full cooperation.
5. View challenges as a cue to recalibrate and change something
All my life I have dealt with asthma and to a certain degree it became my identity. It was only in recent years when I started to take up CrossFit/Functional Fitness did I realise where my real gaps were. For the purpose this post, I will focus on my weakest link..my aerobic system. Knowing this, I started to run, swim, row, ride, bear crawl long distances to improve this system and increase lung capacity. And during the 30 day challenge, I used my asthma attacks as a cue to nasal breathe. The more I wheezed, the more I focussed on improving the way I breathed.
YOUR TAKEAWAY
Consider what are your challenges right now. Be it physical, mental or emotional. Rather than feel stuck, try using something I’ve learnt called the OODA loop. The OODA loop is a tool you can use to quickly respond (rather than react) to triggers. It was first developed by late Air Force Colonel John Boyd to make quick decisions in air combat.
Observe what is happening to you and around you. Take a step back for a moment without reacting. How is what you are doing right now serving/not serving you?
Orient yourself to the new input/insight you are getting. What is the ultimate goal you are trying to achieve?
Decide on the next best step/action given the input above. It may not be the best decision but it might be better than the one made in reaction.
Act on it and receive instant feedback. Re-looping the OODA until you reach higher ground.
6. Distinguish between dependency and an actual human need.
Any slight wheeze I had, I would head to the counter top to get my medication. When I knew I had about less than 20 doses left of my preventer, I would send a WhatsApp message to my doctor requesting for another prescription. Just before training, I would have a few puffs ‘just in case’. I had inhalers in the car, my gym bag, Emilie’s bag, in my garage gym.. literally everywhere ‘just in case’.
I now realise that majority of the times that I was reaching for my drugs, it was sheer dependency and habit.
TAKEAWAY
From drugs, alcohol, hyper palatable foods, sex, cigarettes, validation from others. Are you depending on something or someone to fill an actual need that you have?
According to Maslow, there are 5 human needs (physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, self actualisation), while Tony Robbins has defined the 6 human needs (certainty, uncertainty, significance, connection and love, growth, contribution). These are true needs we require as humans to thrive. If you find you keep self sabotaging, take a step back from where you are and self reflect..
Is it safety/certainty/security? Is it love and connection? Is it personal growth? etc…you NEED?
What emotions form your narrative? Are they predominantly positive or negative?
What do you fear?
What are you trying to escape from?
What void are you trying to fill through your actions or reactions?
What is one thing you can change?
Start journaling and unpack what’s in your mind and heart. When it’s put on paper, it’s out in the world.. you now have something to work on. When you are ready, seek help or guidance from someone you trust or a coach to help you get out of this negative loop.
Realise that it’s not WHAT you do but WHY you do what you do.
7. Separate your goal and the measure of it.
I have to thank my boat crew team mate Scott for this one.
By defining ‘success’ of my goal as the measure of 30 days drug free, I based my progress only on ‘30 days drug free’ not anything else. This resulted in pushing my health aside in pursuit of this goal. When I had a slight infection and my body was screaming with wheezes, all I could think about was “30 days, I can’t succumb to this..I can’t be weak!” I delayed and delayed until I couldn’t do so any longer and had a puff of my inhaler. When I did, I felt like such a failure. This went on for a few more times and each time, all I could think about was how I consistently let myself down..I wallowed in my own self pity.
Now looking back, I have now realised that the ultimate goal was really to not be 100% drug free BUT to have full awareness of what I could do to mitigate and overcome my attacks, while not being dependent on my drugs. This insight has brought me resolution.
TAKEAWAY
Goal = The target, Measure = Way you evaluate your progress towards the goal.
It’s great to always measure your progress towards a goal. However, therein lies the danger of letting the measure define ‘success’ (or progress) of your goal, negating everything else.
Take weight loss for example. If your measure is the numbers on the scale, your moods every morning shift depending on what numbers you see. You only focus on the measure not even connecting to how you’ve created a new routine, how your clothes fit better, how you’ve lost a belt size, how you are choosing healthier options, how you are scheduling more time for training and movement….all of which create long term success BUT since you haven’t lost 1 kg a week, you aren’t ‘progressing.’
Moral of the story? Always set goals for yourself and make sure they are S.M.A.R.T + Positively stated ones. And yes..Have measures in place so that you can track your progress BUT don’t let these measures define your success. Celebrate little victories and always look long term.
It has been a ride up to this point. Decades of experience has led me to this 30 day challenge and now beyond. I truly believe in the body’s innate ability to heal if you connect with the breath, nourish your cells and of course…develop the will to thrive from the inside out.
Live once, Live A.W.A.K.E,
Luke
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Let me know if I can help you build a strong body, mind while living with an open heart. More info about coaching here