Mere days into 2021 and we’re trying to process … horror. On January 6th, the president of the United States incited a mob of domestic terrorists to storm the Capitol, with the intention of stopping the certification of Joe Biden’s election win … and worse.

If 2020 was the Year of Relentless Heartbreak, what will 2021 be? I’m hoping it will be the year of justice. The year of confronting our country’s white supremacist past and the ways that past — still horrifically part of our present — poisons our society. The year of making substantive changes to ensure our democracy survives, and thrives.

Lately, the only way I can get to sleep is with this breathing technique (preceded, on occasion, with a glass of bourbon, or a lorazepam). It’s easy to learn and it’s surprisingly soothing. Let me know if you find it helpful.

Since 2020 has become the Year of Relentless Heartbreak, I wanted to share a quick anxiety-reducing technique that helps keep my stress levels from going through the roof: Box Breathing. I hope it helps you too.

Self-care can make an enormous difference in being able to handle the recurring drumbeat of horrible news without disintegrating into a puddle of tears. I can’t count how many times I’ve used Box Breathing in the past few months – literally cannot tell you the number. It’s wonderfully grounding and calming.

Box Breathing (sometimes called Square Breathing because of its four equal sides) is done by athletes, yoga practitioners, health practitioners, soldiers and everyday people to keep themselves calm and focused. Want to learn how?