Breathing Is Your Occupation - All Else, a Hobby

Breathing well means being aware of breath...once in a while

Our true occupation…

“Your thoughts and emotions are your own creation, and they are coming back for a visit – for tea and cake, or a game of chess. You don’t need to entertain them. Simply let them flit through your consciousness like a butterfly before your gaze…Keep yourself focused on your breathing.”

This quote is from Chapter 16 of my novel, An Audible Silence. The main character, Jim, cannot stop his mind from wandering during a meditation session.

That’s when the Professor - Jim’s guide and mentor - gives him that little pep talk about thoughts, emotions, and breath.

Once he senses the message has sunk in for Jim, the Professor tells him, “Breathing is your occupation, Jim. All else is a hobby.”

Born for breath

A while back, I sent out a newsletter about how a breathing technique pulled me out of panic and helped me get on with my life (read it here to learn more about the 4-7-8 breathing technique).

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

4-7-8 breath didn’t turn my life into a supermarket sweep of endless rainbows and gumdrops, but it got me through. It got me up. It got me back on track.

I’ve never forgotten the lesson of that day: With all the panic and pressure pressing down on me, in the end, I realized I was born to breathe. We all are.

Breath not only brings life-sustaining oxygen into our bodies, but it also anchors us in the moment in a way very few things can.

It’s a beat. A rhythm.

And when it gets disrupted, focusing on it can be a way back.

As the Professor says, “Breathing is your occupation…all else is a hobby.”

Breathe well

Here’s a Sanskrit proverb that came across my desk: “For breath is life, and if you breathe well, you will live long on earth.”

I love that.

Not, “If you make a lot of money…” not “If you become really famous…” not “If you have a nicer car than your neighbor.”

“If you breathe well.”

How lucky are we? Except for the very sickest, breath is something we can do at any time, anywhere.

Breathing requires no permission, no money, no instructions. It just…is.

But to breathe well? Well, that can differ depending on who you talk to.

For some, good breathing is linked to focused breath during meditation or yoga practice. For others, good breathing follows certain rules or patterns.

That’s all great.

But it’s not the whole story.

When I think of breathing well, I think about remembering that I’m breathing. That may sound weird, but for me, it’s tied in with mindfulness.

Here’s what I mean: Through the day, I often catch myself drifting away from the moment. When that happens, and I’m lucky enough to be aware of it, I stop myself, feel my breath, take some “good” ones (aka: “conscious ones”), and resume my day.

In essence, I remember that my occupation is breath. Not necessarily HOW I do it, but THAT I do it.

That, to me, is good breathing.

Practice your occupation of breath

Here’s the MtE tip: To do your occupation well, stop and notice your breath…that’s all.

Yes, there are techniques such as 4-7-8 and box breathing that can be very helpful (you can find some techniques here and here), but just the simple practice of taking air in and letting it out has benefits, too.

So, try this:

1. Set a reminder in your phone that says “breathe” (this can be at a scheduled break time or in the evening after you know you’ll be home)

2. When the reminder goes off, so does the TV and other distractions

3. Get comfortable wherever you are

4. Set your intention to notice your breath

5. Take in a slow, gentle breath through your nose, feeling it flow in…fill your lungs

6. Let it out through your mouth, emptying your lungs

7. Repeat a few times with full attention

There’s no magic here. There’s no must-have or should-do endgame.

There’s just the slow appreciation of something that is always with you – and will always be with you – until your last moment on earth.

Remember: You have one occupation grander – and simpler – than all others: breathing.

Give that job some love and attention, and you may just find your everyday life getting a bit better moment by moment.

How do you “breathe well”? What does that mean to you?

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To dive deeper into strategies for managing stress and anxiety (including breathing!), check out my book, An Audible Silence; or schedule a free 15-minute call to see if coaching might be right for you. For even more, follow me on Instagram or TikTok.

(NOTE: Mastering the Everyday is not medical or mental health advice or diagnosis, and is solely for informational/entertainment purposes. If you need physical or psychiatric care, please reach out to a trained and licensed medical professional.)