From Adrenaline To Calm: A Paramedic's Story

For most of my 24 years as a paramedic, I ran on adrenaline. Twelve of those years were on helicopter retrieval, flying into car crashes, cardiac arrests and children who weren't breathing.
Nobody ever taught us how to look after our own breathing. We were trained to look after everyone else's.
It wasn't until my later years that I found Breathwork, and it changed everything. Steadier hands. A clearer head. And finally being able to switch off after a hard shift.In this short update, I share that story, say thank you for 8,500 plays, and guide you through three slow nasal breaths. You can't always control what's coming. But you can always control your breath.

Transcript

Hi, It's Ross. Before anything else, I want to say thank you. We've now passed 8, 500 plays, And the number of ratings has nearly doubled. Every one of those is someone who took the time to breathe with me. That means a lot. So this week, I want to share something a bit more personal. I was a paramedic for 24 years. 12 of those were on the helicopter. On retrieval, You don't often know what you're flying into. A car crash, A child who isn't breathing, Someone trapped, Hurt, Scared. And the whole flight there, Your mind is racing ahead. For most of those years, I just pushed through it. Heart pounding, Breathing fast, Running on adrenaline, Then trying to switch off at home and not being able to. Nobody ever taught us how to look after our own breathing. We trained to look after everyone else's. It wasn't until my final years I found breathwork, And it changed everything. I learned to close my mouth, Slow my breathing down through the nose, Make the out-breath a little longer. On the way to a job, My heart rate would settle, My hands were steady, My head was clear. And after a hard shift, I could finally relax. I often think about how different those early years might have been if I'd known this sooner. That's a big part of why I do this now. Most of you won't ever step off a helicopter into emergency, But you'll have your own version of it. A hard conversation, A hospital waiting room, A night when your mind won't switch off. You can't control what's coming, But you can always control your breath. Let's take three together now. Mouth closed, In through the nose, And a long, Slow breath out. In. And out. One more, In. . . And out. Thank you for being here. Look after yourselves this week, And I'll talk to you soon.