The First Step of Your Crisis Plan

Before you ever begin making your disaster response plans, I have a powerful technique you can implement right away. It's something every American should know to avoid falling into negative panic... even if you don't yet have a ready response plan.

It's a simple exercise used by the Green Berets, FBI agents, and police officers around the country. It's called "Combat Breathing" in some circles... and "Tactical Breathing" in others.

I'll teach you how to do it right now... in less than one minute.

Here's how it works...

Breathing is one of the few actions that can be controlled by both our somatic nervous system (the things we can consciously control, like moving your arm or sticking out your tongue) and our autonomic nervous system (which includes things we can't typically voluntarily control, like heart rate, perspiration, and digestion).

You breathe automatically, without thinking about it... but you can also consciously change the way you breathe, at least for a brief period of time.

Breathing is a bridge – for most people, the only bridge – between these two nervous systems. By controlling it, you can alter the way your entire body responds in a crisis.

If you find yourself freezing up... starting to panic... or if you are having a hard time figuring out exactly what to do next in any crisis situation, the first thing you should do is try this simple four-step "Combat Breathing" technique.

Step 1. Breathe in for a count of four.
Step 2. Hold your breath for a count of four.
Step 3. Exhale for a count of four.
Step 4. Count to four before starting over again.

That's it.

I know, it sounds incredibly simple. But the next time you feel stressed – or even the slightest bit panicked – give it a shot for just a minute or two. I guarantee it will change the way your body is responding. It will calm you down... help you think much more clearly... and help you take action.

Make Combat Breathing the universal first step of every crisis response plan right now. This breathing technique can help you right away... even if you don't have your crisis response plans ready.

If you haven't created your own crisis response plan, take the time now.

In my book, The Doctor's Protocol Field Manual, I detail steps on how to handle various crises.

After reading my book, you can create checklists that codify your response plans. They should be right to the point. Cut out all extraneous data. You don't need explanations in checklists. You just need the appropriate steps to take, listed in the proper order.

Whether it's a hurricane, tornado, wildfire, or some man-made crisis, the next disaster is coming soon. Now is the time to learn how to prepare.

If you don't already have your own copy of my Field Manual, click here to get it now. Paid subscribers to my Retirement Millionaire newsletter can click here to find their free digital copy.

Keep your questions coming our way at [email protected]. We read every e-mail. Here are some of the things on your minds this week...

Q: I was wondering what causes tinnitus and is it curable? Thanks a bunch! – M.D.

A: Tinnitus is that ringing in your ears with no apparent external cause. Most of us have experienced ringing in our ears before, but some people have the ringing constantly. For some, it's so bad that it hinders sleep, concentration, and communication.

There are lots of causes behind the ringing... Hearing loss, certain medications – including antidepressants and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen) – or an injury to your head, neck, or ear can all lead to tinnitus. As many as 50 million Americans have likely experienced tinnitus.

But exposure to prolonged loud noise causes about 90% of tinnitus cases. And unfortunately, there's no definitive cure... Instead, you can reduce your risk of tinnitus by keeping the volume down in your headphones and wearing protective ear gear, like earplugs, when you're in a location with extremely loud noises (like concerts or car races).

Possible treatments depend on the underlying cause of your tinnitus. For example, if you have a sinus infection causing tinnitus, clearing the infection will likely help.

There's also some evidence that taking a magnesium supplement may help people who already have moderate to severe tinnitus. One belief is that people with tinnitus don't have enough magnesium in their bodies. Nearly half of Americans don't get enough magnesium.

If you're worried about tinnitus, or already have it, you can try upping the magnesium in your diet instead of heading straight for a supplement. A healthy intake of magnesium is about 320 mg a day for women, while men need about 420 mg.

Three foods to help you increase your magnesium are nuts, seeds, and green leafy vegetables. A handful of almonds has 76 mg of magnesium, a quarter-cup of pumpkin seeds has 190 mg, and a cup of spinach has 157 mg.

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A: Thanks for wanting to share us with so many folks! To subscribe, just click this link and enter your e-mail address. You can also use the "Subscribe" box on our website here. Then you'll start receiving Health & Wealth Bulletin issues within a day or two.

What We're Reading...

Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,

Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
June 3, 2022