I have started this simple daily habit for whenever I get overwhelmed (which is a frequent daily occurrence). I really like that it’s simple because as anyone who gets overwhelmed will tell you – the simpler, the better. This is what I do: I stop whatever the hell I’m doing or thinking. And I breathe. Yeah, yeah, I hear you saying – breathing is all the rage – you’ve learnt how to do it in a yoga class or an on-line workshop and there’s a certain technique…. But let me stop you there ’cause what I tend to do is get all worked up about the rules and theories and wonder whether I’m doing it right… and then I turn blue. One of the great things about getting old and salty (thanks, Abby) is that when someone gets out their instruction manual to tell you how to do something you find yourself saying things like, “Thanks, but kindly get stuffed.” What helps me is if I just chuck all that shite out and stop and get some air. It doesn’t matter how I do it. Frankly, it could be through my a*s*. There are no rules or guidelines or formulas or counting. Just … … … get that air. And once you’ve done it once – hell, you can go wild and do it again. If you want. Or not. It has literally taken me 45 years to learn this. 
