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Stop what you’re doing right at this moment. Find yourself a comfortable seat and close your eyes.
Now, take three deep breaths.
Inhale. Exhale.
Inhale. Exhale.
Inhale. Exhale.
I’m doing this right now, and I’m already beginning to feel my chest open up and uncurl from the tight fist-like shape that it’s been in all day.
Whenever you find yourself drowning in a suffocating mass of stress, remember to take time out to breathe. It can be hard to remember to do this. We’ve all got a never-ending list of things to do. For me, I’ve got several editing projects that I’m juggling, I need to find time to walk, I have to make myself lunch, find time to spend with my daughter and husband, take a shower, make and eat dinner, work on my blog post, write in my novel, clean up the house.
So many tasks, and the clock is always ticking.
However, you can always choose to prioritize yourself and your mental health and to take even just a few moments to breathe. According to studies reported on in the New York Times, “Consciously changing the way you breathe appears to send a signal to the brain to adjust the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system, which can slow heart rate and digestion and promote feelings of calm.”
Just think about that. You’re only a few short breaths away from calming your nervous system down. It’s free, and it’s easy.
If you find yourself panicking even thinking about how to breathe to destress, here are some other techniques for finding quick hits of breath help throughout your day.
Simple deep breathing. As I showed at the start of this post, simply sitting down and taking a few deep and intentional breaths can get you started on your way to relaxation town.
Box breathing. According to this Healthline article, box breathing is a simple technique where you inhale deeply and then hold your breath for a few seconds. You next exhale and hold your exhale for few seconds. You then begin the process again. You can visualize each step as a corner of a box that you repeat until you feel calm.
4-7-8 breathing. In this WebMD article, you’ll learn about this technique where you inhale audibly for a four count, hold your breath for a seven count, and then exhale for an eight count. This technique has some ties to the eastern pranayama breathing practice.
Diaphragmatic breathing. The Cleveland Clinic outlines a simple way for you to practice diaphragmatic, or belly, breathing. Picture yourself inflating your belly as you inhale rather than what you might typically do, which is to hold your stomach in as you inhale.
Our natural instinct when we’re stressed is to hold our breath and prepare ourselves for battle. Take just a few moments out of your day to instead take a deep breath (I’m taking one right now!) and seeing how your stress immediately begins to melt away.
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