How to Practice Square Breathing for Better Focus, Clarity and Energy

As you progress in your career, your responsibilities multiply, which can result in increased stress and anxiety levels. Stress and anxiety have their benefits. They help us identify risks, prioritize, and can provide energy and motivation to perform tasks. The problem with stress and anxiety is that too much can lead to a fight, flight, or freeze response. These responses are necessary if you are in life-or-death situations but tend not to be helpful when you are getting ready for an interview or preparing to review your financial performance with your boss. You want to be clear-headed, purposeful, and confident during those moments. As a manager, you have a lot of responsibilities and challenges to deal with every day. If your stress and anxiety are getting in the way of you being the best version of yourself, it will benefit you to develop some techniques to assist you in remaining calm, present, and positive during stressful situations.

One simple and effective technique is square breathing, also known as box breathing or four-square breathing. It is a type of deep breathing that involves inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding your breath for equal counts. It can help you calm your mind, relax your body and boost your energy levels.

Here are some benefits of square breathing for managers:

• Reduce stress and anxiety by activating your parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers your heart rate and blood pressure.

• Improve your focus and concentration by clearing your mind of distractions and enhancing your cognitive performance.

• Increase your clarity and creativity by stimulating your prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for higher-order thinking and problem-solving.

• Enhance your energy and mood by releasing endorphins, which are natural painkillers and mood boosters.

How to practice square breathing:

• Find a comfortable and quiet place where you won't be disturbed.

• Sit or lie down with your back straight and your shoulders relaxed.

• Close your eyes or focus on a point in front of you.

• Breathe normally for a few seconds to settle in.

• Start by inhaling through your nose for a count of four, filling your lungs with air.

• Hold your breath for a count of four, keeping your chest still.

• Exhale through your mouth for a count of four, emptying your lungs completely.

• Hold your breath for a count of four, keeping your mouth closed.

• Repeat this cycle for four minutes or as long as you feel comfortable.

You can practice square breathing anytime you need a break or feel stressed. You can also use it before an important meeting, presentation, or decision to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally. You can adjust the counts according to your preference and capacity as long as they are equal.

Square breathing is a simple but powerful tool that can help you manage your emotions and improve your performance as a manager. You can reap the benefits of better focus, clarity, and energy by taking small breaks in the day to practice this breathwork. Like any practice, you will build your strength in effectiveness over time. The more you practice this habit, the better you will get at being able to calm and center yourself. This will allow you to be the best version of yourself as you go into stressful and challenging situations.

Key points:

• -Square breathing is a type of deep breathing that involves inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding your breath for equal counts.

• It can help you reduce stress, improve focus, increase clarity, and enhance energy as a manager.

• You can practice it anytime you need a break, feel stressed, or before an important task or event.

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Dorian Cunion is an Executive Coach and Business Consultant with Your Path Coaching and Consulting. He is a former retail executive with over 20 years of experience in the retail industry. He is a Co-Active coach who focuses on helping professionals and small business owners overcome insecurities, knowledge gaps, and lack of direction. He does this by assisting clients to tap into their values, recognize their strengths, and develop actionable strategies for growth.

Have you been trying to improve your career or business on your own but are not seeing success as fast as you desire?

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How to Onboard New Employees Successfully: 5 Tips for Managers

You did; after weeks of posting jobs, reviewing resumes, and interviewing candidates, you found the perfect person to join your business. They accepted your offer, and they will be starting next week. How do you ensure this new employee gets off to a great start? Effectively onboarding new employees can boost your team's productivity, improve morale, and reduce turnover. A good onboarding process can help new hires feel welcomed, included, and productive from day one. An unthoughtful onboarding can lead to frustration, confusion, and turnover.

First Day on the Job

Here are five tips to help you create an effective onboarding plan for your team.

1. Define roles and responsibilities clearly. One of the first things new employees need to know is their role and what they are expected to do. Ensure you have a clear and detailed job description outlining their primary tasks, goals, and performance indicators. Also, explain how their role fits into the bigger picture of the team and the organization. This will help them understand their purpose and value in the company.

2. Focus on building trust. Communication is vital to building trust and rapport with your new employees. On their first day, you should allocate time to ensure they are comfortable. Share details on your leadership approach, team culture, and tips for being successful. When possible, map out objectives for the first 30 days and allow the employee to ask questions. Verify that the employee understands that you are there to support them, and provide them with directions on the best way to contact you if they need anything.

3. Provide them with the necessary resources and tools. When possible, provide employees with all the tools and resources they need on their first day. This will allow them to hit the ground running. By setting up email accounts, providing an employee handbook, access to technology, and any other essential job resources on day 1, the employee will be empowered to add value as soon as possible. Outline the training plan, and ask the employee if they need any additional support based on the roles, responsibilities, and goals communicated to them. In addition, small gestures like giving the employee company logoed items, a company phone number, and business cards can begin the process of an employee becoming part of the team.

4. Introduce them to their colleagues and stakeholders. Develop a plan for introducing the employee to their peers, support team, customers, and other key stakeholders. This should be done through a combination of one on one and group meetings. Advise the employee on crucial information they should share with their new peers and recommend questions they should ask. This can jump-start the networking process and set the stage for potential work friendships. Employees that develop friendships at work tend to communicate better and be more committed. Taking steps to connect new employees with current employees can help them get up to speed in their new roles, better understand the organization's culture, and feel better connected.

5. Check in with them regularly and solicit feedback. Finally, don't forget to periodically check in with your new employees and solicit their onboarding experience feedback. Ask them how they are feeling, what they are learning, what they are struggling with, what they need more of, etc. This will help you monitor their progress, identify issues or gaps, and adjust your onboarding plan accordingly.

Do you have a written onboarding process?

• Yes
• No

Onboarding new employees is a challenging but rewarding process. Every individual is different. Developing a framework for onboarding employees will increase the likelihood of new employees feeling valued, connected, and welcomed. You invested money, time, and energy in finding your newest hire. By onboarding them properly, you can maximize the return on that investment. Your effort to design and execute an onboarding process can reduce future conflict and employee turnover. Employees who are onboarded correctly are more likely to stay and perform better because they understand your expectations, have what they need to succeed, and know whom to go to if they need help.

By following these five tips, you can create an onboarding program that meets the needs and expectations of your new hires and helps them thrive in your organization.

If you are looking for additional help or guidance on onboarding new employees successfully, reach out to Your Path Executive Solutions today. We can help you design and implement a customized onboarding plan that suits your business goals and culture.

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Thank you for reading this blog

Dorian Cunion is an Executive Coach and Business Consultant with Your Path Coaching and Consulting. He is a former retail executive with over 20 years of experience in the retail industry. He is a Co-Active coach who focuses on helping professionals and small business owners overcome insecurities, knowledge gaps, and lack of direction. He does this by assisting clients to tap into their values, recognize their strengths, and develop actionable strategies for growth.

Have you been trying to improve your career or business on your own but are not seeing success as fast as you desire?

Book a free discovery call to discuss your goals and how I can help you accelerate.

Talk with Dorian

Have Feedback? Send me a note at

Email: dcunion@yourpathexecutivesolutions.com

For daily tips on leadership and professional development, follow me:

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