A calming breathing exercise before you start editing: A physical wellbeing practice for editing

The Whisper Collective Podcast

Welcome to a series of eight episodes that focus on writing well and being well for writing. This is the fourth

Breathing is amazing. Your brain checks in on your breathing to find out how things are going in the body, including to work out if it should help out by pumping out stress or calm reactions. So choosing your breath can help you influence your emotions.

If you sit down to write and feel your ‘flight’ or ‘freeze’ stress reaction activate because you want to run away from the scary writing, then that will get in the way of the thing you want to do, which is stick at the desk and write some words. Here is a calming breath practice for when writing stresses you out in a bad way.

This practice comes from Chapter 5, ‘Editing’ in Writing Well and Being Well for your PhD and Beyond.

Take a deep breath, find some calm before you start writing in this 2-minute breathing practice.

Read more of Katherine’s reflections and practices on her blog, Research Degree Insiders https://researchinsiders.blog

Read Katherine’s other books https://researchinsiders.blog/books/

Connect with Katherine on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-firth-0786b026/

Wellbeing and Self-care in Higher Education: Embracing Positive Solutions (Book series that Katherine’s book is about) https://www.routledge.com/Wellbeing-and-Self-care-in-Higher-Education/book-series/WSCHE

Find out more about the book series edited by Narelle Lemon http://www.exploreandcreateco.com/book-series-wellbeing-selfcare-in-higher-education