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A Special Week + Behind the Scenes
Today marks 4 years of sending this newsletter every week. That blows my mind. To mark the occasion, I have a “behind the scenes” look at the newsletter at the bottom of this edition.
Thank you for reading 🙏
4 Thoughts
1. Four Lessons from 4 Years of Writing this Newsletter
I think these can be applied in all aspects of life.
Let Go of Expectations: I get so excited about these thoughts, so I just have to remind myself it's just a newsletter, and I have no clue what will resonate with you, the reader.
Deadlines are Diamonds: Having a deadline (preferably self-imposed—I hate when people tell me what to do 😂) is the driving force behind completing anything.
The Process Brings the Most Joy: Cliché but true. Putting together the newsletter is what brings me joy.
Less is Always More.
2. When’s the Big Performance?
“[A]n observed quipped, ‘Practice, practice, practice! All you ever do is practice! When's the performance?’ After a muted wave of chuckles rolled through the meditation hall, our teacher went on to say that there is indeed a performance scheduled; it's called ‘Your Daily Life.’”
- Barbara Fredrickson, PhD, Love 2.0
That’s what all our breathing, meditation, exercise, yoga, etc., practice is all about. It’s training for the biggest performance we’ll ever be a part of: Our daily lives.
3. Flip Your Perspective to Understand Long-Term Benefits
“[J]ust as repeated activation of the fight-or-flight response can lead to sustained problems in the body and its mechanics, so too can repeated activation of the relaxation response reverse those trends and mend the internal wear and tear brought on by stress.”
- Herbert Benson, MD, Timeless Healing
It’s easy to see how chronic stress can add up to all sorts of health problems.
But let’s not forget that the opposite is also true: repeated elicitation of positive states can reverse those negative trends.
4. Growing Grass or Pulling Weeds?
“When I was working for the St. Louis Rams, I asked the head groundskeeper, Scott Parker, how I could get rid of the weeds in my yard at home. With great confidence, he replied, ‘Grow more grass.’ Growing more grass chokes out the weeds.”
- Drs Jason Selk & Ellen Reed, Relentless Solution Focus
This is a profound mindset shift. When trying to resolve a challenging problem or life situation, let’s ask: “Am I growing grass or pulling weeds?”
Become More You
“Paradoxically, it takes time to become what we already are.” – Rick Hanson, PhD
I think it takes ~30 minutes a week.
1 Quote
“Once you establish an inner calm, you will transmit it naturally to others.””
1 Answer
Category: Nose
Answer: When the thin wall between your nostrils is displaced to one side, it’s called this.
…
(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)
…
Question: What is a deviated septum?
In good breath,
Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”
Behind the Scenes of The Breathing 411
I’ve never posted about the newsletter itself, so for the 4th anniversary, here are some random things about it:
First Edition: January 27, 2019
(3 recipients: me, my other email address, and my wife, 😂 😂)
Subscribers as of Today: 1,372
(That’s probably awful for how long I’ve been doing it, lol. But, it makes me proud as hell because (1) you all are awesome, (2) I write about breathing, and (3) it’s all been word of mouth and w/o lead magnets, advertising, etc.).
Open Rates: 50-60+%
(I’m awful and don’t track things like I should, but this seems to be my average.)
Time I Spend on It: ~8 hours/week
(This doesn’t include all the background reading and research that goes into it. Eight hours is just writing and all the nonsense logistics.)
Hardest Part: Finding ideas for the “1 Answer” each week.
Best Part: When people reply and say what resonated with them.
(Sometimes I jump up and run around, and sometimes it brings tears to my eyes.)
Joy: I absolutely love writing this newsletter. Putting it together is one of my biggest sources of joy.
Support: If you enjoy these emails and would like to support them, share them with a friend.
If you’d like to help even more to keep the newsletter around, join the Learning Center or purchase the Breathing for Diabetes Course 🙏
* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.
Sign Up For The Breathing 411
Each Monday, I curate and synthesize information from scientific journals, books, articles, and podcasts to share 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like "Jeopardy!") related to breathing. It’s a fun way to learn something new each week.