We all know how hard it is to make good decisions about healthy eating, exercise, and other habits when your brain is full, stressed, or exhausted.

Luckily, science just discovered a shortcut for us all to use. It’s a breathing technique that shows promising results in breaking a crummy state and helping to get the brain back online to make good decisions and better choices without the need for more willpower.

The best part is, this new technique can work in as little as two minutes if done right. It’s similar to my Square Breathing Technique, but this new technique seems to be a parasympathetic nervous system hack that goes beyond other breathing techniques found in yoga studios and meditation centers.

Here’s how it goes (with one small PJ modification, using heartbeats instead of seconds because it’s better that way – especially for your heart rate variability):