Latest news with #calm
Fast Company
2 days ago
- Health
- Fast Company
3 tiny behaviors that make you the calmest person in the room
In high-stakes meetings or chaotic team moments, the person who stays grounded often becomes the one others follow. And this outcome isn't about status or rank—it's biological. Human groups are wired to seek cues of stability. In uncertain situations, people scan for behavioral signals of calm, control, and composure. Those who project these signals can influence group dynamics in powerful ways, whether or not they hold formal authority. In my work on Leadership Biodynamics, a biology-based approach to executive presence, I train leaders to tune their behavioral signals intentionally. The goal is not to fake confidence, but to engage practices that create real calm in the body and broadcast it to others. This is rooted in the biology of behavior. When your nervous system signals stability, others' systems start to regulate in response. Here are three tiny behaviors that can make you the calmest person in the room. 1. Slow Your Exhale One of the fastest ways to regulate your nervous system is through your breath. Specifically, focus on extending the exhale. A longer out-breath activates the parasympathetic nervous system, signaling to your body and brain that you are safe and in control. In stressful moments, most people unconsciously shorten their breath, which heightens physiological arousal. By contrast, slowing your exhale lowers heart rate variability and helps maintain executive function under pressure. Neuroscience research supports this. Controlled breathing patterns are shown to downregulate the amygdala, the brain's threat detection center, and improve prefrontal cortex performance. In leadership terms, this allows you to think clearly and signal calm even when tension is high. 2. Master the Neutral Face Facial expressions are among the most contagious signals in any room. Subtle cues of tension—tightened jaw, furrowed brow, compressed lips—trigger mirror neuron responses in others, escalating stress contagion. One of the simplest yet most powerful techniques is to practice what I call a neutral face. Relax your facial muscles, release tension from the jaw and brow, and let your gaze soften. This sends nonthreatening signals that calm others' nervous systems. A recent story on how fighter pilots maintain calm in high-stakes situations echoes this principle. Pilots are trained to maintain neutral, composed facial expressions because they know crew members will mirror their affect. The same applies in leadership settings. 3. Use Stillness Strategically Movement is another powerful signal. Rapid, jittery gestures broadcast anxiety. Deliberate stillness, on the other hand, projects control. In tense meetings, practice purposeful stillness. Rest your hands lightly on the table, slow your gestures, and allow silences to stand without rushing to fill them. This creates a grounding presence that helps regulate group energy. Behavioral research confirms that leaders who demonstrate controlled stillness are perceived as more composed, credible, and trustworthy. The effect is amplified when combined with calm vocal tone and centered body posture. Why Projecting Calm Matters at Work These behaviors may seem small, but their effects are anything but. In group settings, emotional states are highly contagious. The person who maintains composure can anchor the emotional tone of the entire room. This is especially critical in hybrid and remote environments, where subtle behavioral cues carry more weight. In my work with global leadership teams, I often see that those who can project calm consistently gain disproportionate influence, not through dominance but through stabilizing presence. In Biohacking Leadership, my book of science-based techniques for better leadership, I emphasize that influence is not about charisma alone. It is about biological signaling. When your own system is grounded, you help others self-regulate. That is what builds trust and followership in high-stakes moments. The bottom line is this: if you want to become the calmest person in the room, start with these three behaviors. Slow your exhale. Relax your face. Use stillness strategically. These tiny actions, grounded in the biology of behavior, can shift not only how you feel, but how others respond to you. And in leadership, that is the signal that often matters most.
New York Times
13-06-2025
- New York Times
Quote of the Day: ‘Oasis' in the Mountains Beckons the War-Weary
'It was not a shock, but a relief. That somewhere, people live calmly. Somewhere, people live normally.' Tetiana Bezsonova, who fled Pokrovsk, Ukraine, a year ago, on her arrival in Mukachevo, the region of Transcarpathia that has seen few attacks in the three years since Russia's full-scale invasion.
BreakingNews.ie
11-06-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Stormont ministers make joint appeal for end to violence in Ballymena
Stormont ministers have made an urgent appeal for calm following two nights of street violence in Northern Ireland. In a joint statement, ministers from across the powersharing Executive in Northern Ireland, which includes Sinn Féin, the DUP, Alliance Party and UUP, said those involved in disorder in Ballymena have nothing to offer society but 'division and disorder'. Advertisement Seventeen police officers were injured following a second night of sustained violence in the Co Antrim town on Tuesday. Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly (left), First Minister Michelle O'Neill and other Stormont ministers have condemned recent violence (David Young/PA) The violence flared at first on Monday following an earlier peaceful protest which was organised in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area. The four-party powersharing Executive is headed by Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O'Neill and DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly. The statement released on behalf of all ministers said: 'We strongly condemn the racially motivated violence witnessed in recent days and make an urgent appeal for calm across society. 'The alleged serious sexual assault reported on June 7 in Ballymena was appalling and our collective thoughts are with the victim and their loved ones at this deeply traumatic time. Advertisement 'It is paramount that the justice process is now allowed to take its course so that this heinous crime can be robustly investigated. 'Those weaponising the situation in order to sow racial tensions do not care about seeing justice and have nothing to offer their communities but division and disorder. 'While all of our citizens have the right to engage in peaceful protest, there can never be any justification for the violence that has taken place in recent days, during which residents have been terrorised and numerous PSNI officers injured.' The statement added: 'We send our best wishes to all of those affected by these senseless acts and thank the PSNI and the NI Fire and Rescue Service for their efforts in ensuring that no-one has been seriously injured or worse. Advertisement 'As an Executive, we work collectively every day to create a safe, prosperous and welcoming Northern Ireland for all. We are urging everyone in our communities to play their part in that effort and reject the divisive agenda being pursued by a minority of destructive, bad faith actors.' In a social media post, Ms Little-Pengelly said: 'Dismayed to see further disorder last night. 'Violence is always wrong. I have been in constant contact throughout last night with PSNI and in contact with local elected representatives. 'This disorder and violence must stop and justice be allowed to prevail.' Advertisement Meanwhile, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald described the scenes of violence in Ballymena as 'unnerving'. Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald described violence in Ballymena as unnerving (Liam McBurney/PA) She said she expects Ms O'Neill to visit the Co Antrim town. 'I'm sure the First Minister will visit there. And let me say that the behaviour, I found it really unnerving, depressing,' she told RTE Radio. 'It was reminiscent of times a long, long time ago when violent loyalism burnt out Catholics from their homes. Advertisement 'Let me say everybody needs to be safe in their community and in their homes, calm needs to be restored. 'Order needs to be restored. Respect has to be maintained. People's safety is absolutely paramount.' Ms McDonald added: 'So this behaviour needs to stop. It needs to end. 'And as I say, when I saw those images, they transport you back to a very bad time when sectarian violence and pogroms and all of those episodes. We're not going back to those times, every single person needs to be safe. 'I'm sure the First Minister will reiterate those sentiments very fully, and let me tell you it wouldn't be her first time in Ballymena, either.'
Washington Post
07-06-2025
- Climate
- Washington Post
On D-day anniversary, the roar was distant thunder
It was the 81st anniversary of D-Day on Friday, and in Washington and its surroundings all seemed atmospherically serene, with any sounds of thunder coming from distant and isolated storms, and any possible sight or sniff of smoke resulting from far-off wildfires. Overall it seemed a calm and low-key day, a day of somewhat blurry identity, one that suggested either late spring or early summer. Classifying it more precisely probably depended as much as anything on personal feelings about what makes the seasons, and how and when one gives way to the next. By early evening, Washington had spent hours watching the skies grow dark as what appeared to be a fair facsimile of storm clouds assembled. But as of 8 p.m. no rain had fallen in the city itself. The main accomplishment of the gathering of clouds seemed to be to shield the city from the direct rays of the sun, which are at this time of year at the peak of their power. It was neither a sunny day nor a day without sunshine. Dulles International Airport reported a thunderstorm, and .05 of an inch of rain fell there, between 3 and 5 p.m. Within sight of the airport loomed those towers of cloud known as cumulonimbus, the sort that spread not out but upward, the sky's own skyscrapers, Often they portend thunder and lightning. It didn't seem possible to be certain that a shower was not in store elsewhere in the area. In Washington the high temperature reached 86 degrees, four degrees above the average high for June 6 in the city. It was the warmest of the six days of June thus far, but probably not warm enough to complain about on Friday or any other day. And most of the time the mercury stayed below that, The wind caused little stir. Most of the time it seemed well below 10 mph. Signs of summer could probably be found in the dew points. They spent most of the day in the mid-and upper 60s in Washington, and may have started to suggest some of the necessary humid ingredients of a typical summer day here. And based on published maps, high above the city the faraway fires in Canada, apparently spread a thin canopy of smoke.
Malay Mail
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Long live King Charles: The tale of a shaggy peacekeeper who rules without barking (VIDEO)
BEIJING, June 6 — Once upon a scroll, in the digital dog park we call the internet, a quiet legend emerged — not with a growl, but with a gentle paw. He was no flashy show dog, no Frisbee-chasing goofball, and certainly no TikTok dancer. He had no interest in viral tricks or tail-wag theatrics. And yet, this shaggy fellow — medium-sized, off-white, and majestic in his own unbrushed way — became the canine king of calm. Meet Changmao. Or, as the internet has knighted him, King Charles. Now, King Charles doesn't need to bark to get his message across. He doesn't lunge, nip, or flash teeth. When a fight breaks out at his kennel — sorry, kingdom — he strolls over like a seasoned diplomat, places a paw (maybe two) on the guilty party, and voilà: instant peace. Barkers go silent. Fighters roll belly-up. Even the muscle-bound Cane Corsos lower their heads in royal reverence. No throne, no crown. Just one very powerful aura. The footage comes from a Douyin account called Uncle Beard Dog Tribe, where a dog-loving Chinese man shares videos of his canine crew. Among all the good boys and girls, Charles stands out — not because he dominates, but because he doesn't need to. His presence alone dissolves chaos. When a video of him calmly defusing a scuffle surfaced in mid-May, dog lovers around the world lost it. Instagram fell first, courtesy of @newlu_princess, who dubbed him King Charles. From there, it was a worldwide coronation. On Twitter (okay, X), someone joked, 'Cane Corso: bows my liege,' and the internet collectively nodded. Another demanded to know: 'What buddy do to have insane aura like that?' The truth? No one knows. Some say it's confidence. Others say he was born with it. But dog lovers everywhere agree: King Charles doesn't just break up fights — he restores the natural order. Like Gandalf in a fur coat. So if you ever find yourself spiralling into internet drama or in need of a little zen, remember: somewhere in China, a shaggy dog is quietly pressing a paw on chaos. Long may he reign.
