Your burnout quiz companion

The Two-Minute Reset

Heart-Focused Breathing for the moments when owning a practice gets loud.

There is a moment in almost every practice day when your body decides for you. The schedule runs behind, a practice member cancels their care plan, the denial letter lands, and before you have chosen anything, your shoulders are up and your breath is somewhere near your collarbones.

You can't skip those moments. You can change what happens in the two minutes after them. That's what this is for.

Four steps, about twelve breaths

1. 1

   Stop where you are. In the car, the hallway, between practice members. You don't need to close your eyes or find a quiet room.

2. 2

   Focus your attention on the area of your heart. Let your awareness settle in the center of your chest.

3. 3

   Breathe in and out of your chest area, a little slower and deeper than usual. About five seconds in and five seconds out, in a rhythm that feels easy.

4. 4

   Keep going for two minutes, about twelve breaths. Then walk back in.

The Two-Minute Reset is my practice-owner version of the Heart-Focused Breathing™ Technique developed by HeartMath®. I'm a certified HeartMath practitioner. It is a self-regulation tool, not medical or mental health treatment. If you're feeling hopeless or having thoughts of harming yourself, please contact a mental health professional, or call or text 988 in the US.