Breathe In. Breathe out.

As we move towards the third year of the pandemic, the events happen during these past years have changed many of our lives in ways we never expected it to be, thus became our new normal.

Lots of us choose to stay indoors even though some restrictions have been lifted, vaccines were administered, and wearing masks can be optional. They prefer to quarantine or isolate themselves from others, not only to lessen the exposure to the virus, but also to the environment they considered as toxic.

However, one can’t avoid being involved in those situations. Especially when the work requires interacting with people. If you are in this kind of environment, it’s good to start your breathing exercise.

Dealing with toxic people and being in a toxic environment caused pain in many ways. That’s where breathing in and out helps. Breathing is what we do every day; from the moment we woke up,  when we are going somewhere, and even when we are sleeping. Breathing helps our mind and body to relief chronic pain which includes, anxiety, stress, and depression caused by the toxic environment.

To start, breathe in and out through the nose for 5 seconds. In between breathe, and hold it for 5 seconds. With this, it activates the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for the body’s rest and response. It helps also to rid unwanted waste products or toxins from the body. This is also considered meditation to enhance one’s sense of clarity.

Regardless, not all your stress can be solved by just breathing. But it is still better to compose yourself and broaden your perspective on things you should be focusing on instead of being distracted by others.

When things are getting out of hand, always remember to take care of yourself. You may value your relationship with people, but when they don’t do the same, STOP. You should consider putting yourself first, and always have that physical and emotional energy to meet your own need to survive the day. Stop offering your focus and energy to someone who doesn’t care about your well-being because they also just think of themselves.

Somehow, cutting people with toxic behaviors out of your life may be the only way to avoid them, but it’s not always the thing. Be reminded that their toxicity is not your fault or responsibility to pinpoint and change. What’s important is that you know your priority, which is peace of mind. And let them know that you’re not willing to tolerate such behavior.