When it comes to instant stress relief, breathing exercises are one of the easiest techniques to use. Best of all its free and always available to use wherever you are.
You may think that it is rather strange to be told how to breathe; after all we all do it anyway and without having to think about it. However when we become stressed our breathing changes, often without us realising this is happening. The reason our breathing changes is because our bodies are preparing for the flight or fight response. This stress response causes us to breathe more quickly and this can make us feel light headed, which in turn can make us feel panicky.
When we are breathing normally we breathe from our lower abdomen whereas when we are stressed our breathing changes and we begin to breathe from our chest area. If stress becomes a common occurrence, breathing from our chest area becomes the norm which is not conducive to a healthy body. We therefore have to relearn how to breathe correctly again to return the balance of our bodies and prevent further ill effects.
Common signs of breathing incorrectly are shallow breaths from the chest area, raised shoulders and irregular breathing patterns. This can also cause us to sigh a lot and in extreme cases to gulp air in an attempt to get more air into our lungs.
Stress and not breathing correctly because of it can trigger panic attacks. The symptoms of which are rapid breathing, pounding heart rate, sweating and light headiness.
Breathing exercises are a good way to correct your breathing while you are feeling stressed or when experiencing a panic attack. It helps to slow the heart rate and prevent the stressed feelings related to the irregular breathing.
Breathing exercises are easy to do and with practice can become more and more effective in a shorter period of time. It is a good idea to practice the exercises even when you are not feeling stressed so that they can become second nature to you.
Correct Breathing method for relaxation
The method for breathing correctly to help you to relax is a simple one and one which can be learned quickly by anyone.
Make sure you are sitting comfortably with your feet flat on the ground and your body is relaxed with your arms down loosely by your side.
Take a deep slow breath in, notice the rise of your abdomen as you do it.
Now slowly release the breath and try to expel as much of the air as possible without forcing it.
Tip: While you breathe in and out count slowly from 1 to 4 in your head. This will help you to keep the process smooth and even.
Repeat this process 4 or 5 times in a slow smooth motion, you should not hold your breath at any point.
