What the CIA Can Teach Us About Staying Calm Under Pressure
Guess what the CIA teaches its operatives so that they stay calm under extreme stress?
And I mean extreme stress. Imagine discovering that you have been "burned": you have been working undercover, and the enemy has just realized you are not who you claim to be.
One of the techniques they use is box breathing. It's a simple mindfulness practice:
Inhale for a count of four.
Hold for four.
Exhale for four.
Hold for four.
I learned this while listening to The Diary of a CEO, where Steven Bartlett interviewed former CIA operative Andrew Bustamante. Andrew described the moment he realized he had been burned during an operation in a hostile country. As panic started to set in, he noticed what the CIA calls "head trash", the flood of negative thoughts that can take over when we believe we have failed. To regain control, one of the first things he did was box breathing.
And here is why this caught my attention, and why it’s so effective: box breathing is one of the practices we teach in our leadership programs. Our brains don't distinguish very well between real threats and perceived ones. Whether you are being exposed as an undercover operative or a colleague interrupts you in a meeting, someone breaks a promise, or your teenager talks back, your brain can activate the same fight, flight, or freeze response.
In that moment, the part of your brain responsible for logical thinking, creativity, and good decision-making becomes less available. Your emotions take over, and you're much more likely to react in ways you'll later regret.
This reactive, immediate response is incredibly useful when a bear is chasing you through the woods.
It's far less useful during a difficult conversation with your boss, spouse, colleague, or child.
That's why box breathing is so powerful. By slowing your breathing, you send a signal to your nervous system that you are safe. Your body begins to settle, your mind clears, and you create the space to respond intentionally instead of reacting automatically.
Next time you feel your chest tighten or head trash taking over, try it. Four counts in. Four counts hold. Four counts out. Four counts hold. It won't make the situation disappear, but it might just give you back the version of yourself that can handle it well.
Be well, be now.
Warmly,
Barbara