The Dao De Jing points out that we should be like water, which is ‘submissive and weak’ and ‘yet which can’t be surpassed for attacking what is hard and strong’.
Wu Wei – Doing Nothing 無爲 -The School of Life Articles | Formerly The Book of Life
There are many practices in Chinese culture that reveal this understanding. Qigong, Tai Chi, and martial arts like Wing Chun emphasize calming the body and mind in order to successfully face life’s conflicts and challenges.
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However, with most of us engaged in office work—and spending most of our leisure time in front of screens—this discharge does not happen. As a result, we experience much of the discomfort of stress and conflict as much more intense—much more real—than it actually is. We make decisions from that frame, many of them decidedly nonstrategic.
Spending time focused on your breathing and doing so regularly allows you to detach from your emotions to some degree. The more you meditate, the more you realize the feelings welling up inside you in response to certain stimuli are simply sensations. You begin to understand how unnecessary it is to immediately react to each and every one of them. This is a necessary skill for anyone aspiring to influence others.
What you put into your body affects your mind in profound ways as well. This is different for each person, but there are some commonalities. Excess in any form never helps. Huge amounts of caffeine, sugar, and trans fats affect the mood and raise anxiety levels.