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It’s a Blog...WHEN TAKING A DEEPBREATH IS NOT ENOUGHCONTROLLED BREATHING TECHNIQUES CAN HAVE DAILYAPPLICATIONS THAT CAN HELP YOU PERFORM YOUR JOBBETTER.During my time as a firearms instructor I became interested inbreathing techniques. This led to the realisation that by controllingyour breathing, you not only have better control of your firearm butthere are other benefits too. It’s something that you may have comeacross in your firearms or officer safety training, but I believe that notenough emphasis is placed upon its general use for law enforcement orsecurity officers.There are only two autonomic nervous system actions you canconsciously control; breathing and blinking. Of the two, controlling yourbreathing will be of great benefit during a stressful situation. You candecrease your heart rate by practicing tactical breathing. Regulationof the autonomic system de-escalates the biological-fear response andreturns our higher-level brain functions to full capacity. So, it is oneof the best ways you can prepare yourself to overcome fear in a crisissituation. If you are injured it can also be used to minimise blood lossby achieving a mind-set that controls panic and the often accompanyingrapid heartbeat.The value of good breathing techniques in my opinion can’t beemphasised enough, and the benefits extend beyond stress or injuriessustained on duty. It can also assist you in other aspects of work andhome life to reduce stress and improve mental health, as well ascontribute to better overall physical fitness.Master the TechniqueMartial Artists have known about these benefits for hundreds ofyears. There are any number of techniques out there for controllingbreathing, but in line with my doctrine of keeping it as simple aspossible, this technique is a good place to start. I recommend that youstart with this simple process.The breaths should be deep ‘belly breaths’, that is, during inhalation,your stomach expands like a balloon. Each step is done while mentallycounting to four.The four simple stepsto this breathing are:1234PAGE 104In through the nose,two, three, four.Hold two, three, four.Out through the lipstwo, three, four.Hold two, three, four.The four simplesteps to thisbreathing are:In through the nose,two, three, four.Hold two, three,four.Out through the lipstwo, three, four.Hold two, three,four.The slow full inhaleshould expand thestomach regionwhile the exhalewill return it to thestart position. Thistactical breathingsequence is mosteffective whenrepeated at leastfour times.Although verysimple, thisNITON999 PRODUCT NEWStechnique allows you todo a number of things tohelp calm yourself. Thebreathing itself combinedwith the concentration incounting can help clearyour mind and allow youto focus on the task orsurviving an injury. If youare hyperventilating it’shard to think straight.As you continue thebreathing exercise, youcan lower your heartrate and relax yourmuscles. If you havebeen injured this canslow blood loss. Tensemuscles can make itdifficult to calm down so you can concentrate again.When practising this technique, you’ll soon find that it doesn’t takevery long to start feeling a difference. After about four repetitions ofthis exercise you should notice the relaxing effects. There are othertechniques, some involve different movements in coordination withbreathing, my advice is to keep it simple. With a discreet technique asdescribed above you can use it in as many situations as possible. Whatis most important is that you regularly practice the technique outsideof stressful situations so using it becomes second nature.Keep Calm When Attending IncidentsMuch of a typical officers work can involve varying degrees ofboredom, with the occasional rushes of adrenaline while responding tostressful incidents and dealing with them. When travelling to the call,start conducting the breathing exercise. Despite the sirens, the chatterof the radio and the expectation of trouble, you may find that theslower breathing brings about a calmer mindset and allows you to drivebetter and plan for a focussed response to an incident. At the sceneyour high energy combined with the clear thinking you have attainedfrom controlled breathing, will allow you to handle the situation in thesafest and most professional manner.These adrenaline fuelled responses can cause you physical strain,sometimes unrecognised, so it can be useful to conduct the breathingexercise post incident. You may think you’re fine and feel ok, but it is agood habit to practice this exercise afterwards as well.Stay CoolIt’s not just working the street that can cause stress. There’s plenty ofstress back at the station or office, I often thought more! If you have toexplain your actions at an incident or how you have conducted yourself,you may find you are under particular stress. Prior to explaining youractions or being questioned, conduct the breathing technique.A relaxed mind may help you better recall what took place andhelp you explain in a calm and deliberate fashion. Similarly a publicforum such as a courtroom and the rigorous questioning by lawyers isstressful even for experienced officers. It certainly helps to display aprofessional demeanor, and calm, deliberate and thoughtful responsewhich can be achieved by being relaxed. Controlled breathing beforetestimony can help achieve the right mind-set.Other BenefitsThe more relaxed you are at work can transfer to being more relaxedat home. Because this technique is so easy, you can perform thisbreathing exercise outside of work and teach it to family members.Good breathing exercises have a place in our line of work and I wouldstrongly encourage their use for anyone seeking a healthy way to relax.WWW.NITON999.CO.UKKeep Calm When Attending Incidents- Adrenaline should be a positive!