Stop, Breathe, Think, Act

Wide eyes.

Shallow breath.

Frantic, useless motion.

That’s what panic looks like - underwater.

Back when I worked as a scuba instructor, I saw it daily.

First-time divers weren’t just meeting the ocean -

They were meeting their limits.

And when fear hit, it hit fast.

I got good at spotting panic.

Even better at stopping it.

One mantra saved more dives (and likely, lives) than I can count:

Stop. Breathe. Think. Act.

Here’s why it works:

Stop: Interrupts the spiral.

Breathe: Calms the body. Even half a breath helps.

Think: Brings your brain back online.

Act: Gets you moving toward control. 🚀

Here’s the twist:

This mantra isn’t just for scuba.

It works in meetings. 💼

In interviews. 🎤

In traffic. 🚗

Even when you spill soda on your laptop before a Zoom call. ☕💻

You don’t need full-blown panic to use it.

Next time your stomach flips - or your mind races -

Stop.
Breathe.
Think.
Act.

It’ll help. 🙌

If you lead others - or want to lead yourself better under pressure - let’s connect. 🤝 →  Eric Woodard

🚀 Let's get your career stuff handled, find time to talk here. 📲