A
situation that always challenges my ability to stay calm is when an airline
gate agent directs me to check the size of my carry-on luggage. I have been
traveling with the same piece of carry-on luggage for 3 years, when a gate
agent recently directed me to verify my luggage wasn’t too big by placing it in
the luggage sizer bin. This seems to happen to me about once every 10 flights
even though other people in front of me appear to have similar size carry-ons.
In this particular case, I took a quick deep breath, did not make any verbal
response or offer any frustration, but just placed my bag in the sizer bin.
Though my carry-on did in fact fit, the gate agent commented “the fit was tight
but it fit.” My first thought was to respond with “well, it fit didn’t it.” But
instead, I paused and just said “thank you” and boarded the plane.
As
football officials, several incidents happen throughout the weekend that cause
our heart rate to increase and prevent us from remaining calm:
- Travel issues
(flight delays, room not available)
- Angry coaches
- Penalties
(flags we throw)
- Player issues
(pushing, shoving, talking trash)
- Irate Fans
So, how
can we remain calm in tense or hurried moments? Take a deep breath. Before
talking or giving any type of facial expression, hand/arm motion, or non-verbal
communication, pause for just a second with a deep breath and then communicate.
Why is remaining calm a key to effective communication? Being calm enables us to be clear in our communication. Clear communication for football officials looks as follows: (1) Limited body movement and hand gestures (use self-control), (2) slow or even-paced verbal communication (don’t speak too fast), and (3) active listening (listen to hear, not to reply).
Challenge for this season: When communicating to the Referee, a fellow official, or coach, take a deep breath first.
Here are
some of the benefits of taking deep breaths:
- Reduces stress;
increases calmness.
- Improves focus.
- Increases
energy.
- Lowers blood
pressure.
- Supports
correct posture.
https://www.urbanbalance.com/benefits-deep-breathing/
These
are just a few scientific benefits to taking deep breaths. Another perk is the
benefit of time! Taking a deep breath gives us a short, added amount of time in
order to determine how to best respond.
Psalm 107:29-30: He caused
the storm to be still; so that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were
glad because they were quiet; so He guided them to their desired haven.
In this Psalm of David, I am reminded that God calms the storms within us and removes the fear and uncertainty of the storms (challenges) surrounding us. No matter how harsh or stressful of a situation that I face, God gives me peace. This peace also helps keep me calm and helps me to clearly communicate. Notice the end of verse 30, “He guided them to their desired haven.” When we as humans, and officials, are able to stay calm and “quiet,” the results are most often in our favor.
