No booze and daily workouts for the Berg from March 22nd to April 11th

I’m taking 21 days off personal social media as well as daily breath work to begin developing habits of abstinence and personal health, but I’m mostly doing it to record and observe how I feel.  2023 is all about health and growth.

NO SOCIAL MEDIA: Though I still need to work within social media for my job, I’m going to eliminate 95% of my personal daily social media use. This is a good time for it, as I need to focus on work before a big trip.

BREATH WORK: Not only will I practice daily breath work, but I’m hoping to increase my breath hold for free-diving.  I’ll measure some prone breath hold times throughout the 21 days.  Through regular breathwork, I think my lungs will get stronger, hence longer breath-hold.

And it begins!

I’ll share regular updates here:

• March 22nd – This is harder than I thought. Social is like a subconscious reflex when bored.  Pretty scary how ingrained social media can become in life.  Current prone breath hold: 2min54sec
• March 23rd: – So I kind of surprised myself with the breathhold yesterday.  I remember 7-8 years ago, I could pull off around 2min20sec while free diving.  I know I’m not in as good of shape, and I wish I’d tried doing some prone breath holds back then to see where I was at.
• FAIL: OK, so I blew it.  The social media part was really hard, but I did manage to keep it down to a minimum. The breathwork part was really hard.  I like doing it in the morning, but I kept skipping it.  I’m coming back to this one in September for a Meditation and heartburn challenge.

Benefits to Breathwork

Breathwork offers numerous advantages, such as lowering stress levels, decreasing nervousness, and releasing/alleviating emotional trauma. It also has the potential to lessen the effects of depression and anger. Personally, breathwork has raised my energy, is known to fortify your body’s immunity system, and always gives me a heightened sense of self-awareness, presence, and cheerfulness.

In addition, there are several other benefits associated with breathwork such as providing better sleep quality and allowing you to experience freedom from any trauma or fear held within the body. It may even help reduce physical pain as well as eliminate toxins from the body (though I have some pain in my hands, which increased last time).

Lastly, it can even improve digestion and provide a chance to explore altered states of consciousness in a conscious way.  It definitely feels better than a few beers.

Tips for increasing breath hold time:

Before attempting a breath-hold, it’s important to practice in an environment that’s safe and comfortable. Lying down on a bed or yoga mat can be ideal for this. To maximize your breath-hold time, do some deep breathing exercises to lower your heart rate. Spend a few minutes concentrating on steady breathing to ensure your mind is clear and not distracted by any other thoughts or worries. Furthermore, the key to a successful breathhold is focusing on something other than the actual duration of the activity; this will help you to remain relaxed and push back any sense of discomfort or fatigue.

Again, when it comes to trying to extend your breath-hold time, I find it important to avoid any thoughts or activities that could cause stress or agitation, such as concentrating on the passage of time. To maximize oxygen, try and remain still while taking deep breaths. Moving your body expends oxygen, so by remaining still you conserve energy and can relax more easily. Keeping a clear and relaxed mind is paramount when it comes to increasing your breath-hold capacity; focus on calming, positive thoughts – this will help you stay in control and can make a world of difference. Additionally, actively engaging in breathing exercises can be beneficial as they allow our bodies to regulate our intake of air more efficiently.

Focus your energy on optimistic and calming thoughts. Perseverance and total peace of mind can help you achieve great things. When the temptation to take a breath arises, don’t give in without trying. Go the extra mile!

Update: evening of April 11th

I blew it.  I’ll try this one again in the future.

What’s next?

Not sure!  What should I do next from the list below?