It was just another normal Wednesday night in Moscow… laying on the couch in the nude and sipping on vodka. When out of nowhere, the ex wife sets the poor old chap’s penis on fire!! Ouch that’s gotta hurt, dude. Reuters has the scoop on all the gory details. Apparently, a women set fire to her ex-husbands penis because of increased frustration over the pairs living situation. After they divorce three years ago, the ex-couple decided it would be more cost effective to continue living together.

People, people, people, someday we are going to have to learn that lighting people on fire is just not how to deal with stress!

The next time you think about reaching for your BIC, try this breath exercise that will reduce tension quickly. This is my favorite technique when it comes to reducing anxiety and stress.

The Quieting Response:
When to use it? Whenever you feel startled, stressed, nervous or anxious. Particularly good for calming before a presentation or speech, or during an argument.

Here’s what you do: Stop and take a deep breath. Inhale through your nose, while simultaneously making a slight smile. Exhale all the air out through your mouth. During the exhale imagine all the air flowing down your arms and out your fingertips. The exhale is also the best time to think positive thoughts or mantras. It’s important to try to quiet the mind and think positively.

For example, before a dance performance I use the QR exercise to calm my nerves. I take several deep breaths like described above and keep telling myself over and over again during the exhale “your peaceful”, “your calm”, “everything will go perfectly.” The key is to not let any negative thoughts interceed. Instead of thinking “I’m going to screw this up and everone is going to fall over laughing at me,” practice the QR. Believe me it works everytime! It’s the only way I can successfully calm the jitters.