When I used to be a personal trainer I took pride in pushing people to the point of exhaustion. Sounds sadistic doesn’t it…there is probably some truth to that. In the midst of exhaustion and breathing out of control it is important for athletes, especially runners, to learn a good rhythm of breathing. These techniques can help the athlete maximize the amount of oxygen that is delivered to their muscles giving them a greater level of performance and ultimately endurance.

Have you ever needed to catch your breath? Of course you have! Whether it’s keeping up with all the activities that surround our kids, or the different social events we are expected to be at, or grinding your way through a job that doesn’t seem to fulfill you…we all need to find ways to catch.. our.. breath. What if there was a way to create breathing rhythms for our lives excluding the exercise. Some of you may prefer the “no exercise” part. Creating healthy rhythms for our lives are incredibly important, and can actually lead us to a greater level of performance. Let’s be honest, all of us want to have more energy, think more clearly, and make the most of each moment in our lives. But when we live at a pace where it is next to impossible to catch our breath, we find ourselves living in a constant state of fatigue. Ain’t nobody got time for that! Trust me, I have been there. Let me share 3 techniques with you that will hopefully help you to catch your breath:

1. We all have crazy seasons! Instead of letting these dictate your life, put a timeline on them. You may have to push harder than normal through that season. Whether it’s hitting a deadline, accomplishing a task, or overcoming an obstacle, don’t let these seasons become lifestyles and rule your life. Put a timeline on that season, and draw that line decisively!  Also make sure to calendar something on the end of that crazy season that will help you catch your breath. You already know what that is for you…so put it on the calendar.
2. Find little things that give you shots of adrenaline and clear your mind. We all can’t take a cruise whenever we want but we can go for a nice hike, bike ride, or spinning class (not this guy). The irony here is that some of these things actually take your breath, but the energy you exert in these activities is proven to help clear your mind. Find an activity that you can easily work into a weekly routine.
3. Sit in silence. One of the things that has helped me to catch my breath in a very unique way lately is sitting in silence. I don’t pray, I don’t read, I just sit….and it’s awesome! Sometimes I will ask God to steer my thoughts towards something that I need to be thinking about more. This simple rhythm has allowed me to see things that I would have otherwise overlooked.

Creating healthy rhythms in our lives is one of the best things you can do to offset fatigue. Try putting some in place, and keep running the race God has put before you.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)