Inhale, then exhale. You will likely notice a difference in the way you feel right away. Your breath is an effective tool for reducing anxiety and making you feel less stressed. There are a few simple breathing exercises you can try that will make a significant and positive difference in your mindset and emotional state if you practice them regularly.
Before you start, remember a few important things:
-Choose a specific location for your breathing exercises that you’re comfortable in, like your living floor, your bed, or your favorite chair
-Engage in your breathing exercises at the same time each day
-Don’t try to force it; you want to keep your stress levels down
-Wear comfortable clothing
Most breathing exercises take a few minutes. However, if you can practice the exercises for longer, you’ll experience more benefits.
Breathing Deeply
Most people take shallow, short breaths throughout the day. This breathing technique can drain your energy and make you prone to anxiety. When you practice deep breathing, you’ll train your body to take bigger breaths all the way into your stomach.
For deep breathing, you should lie in a comfortable position on the floor or bed. Place a pillow under your knees and head. You can also sit on a chair with your neck, shoulders, and head supported.
Inhale through your nose and allow your midsection to fill with air. Exhale through your nose. Place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. When you breathe in, feel your stomach rise and feel your belly lower when you exhale. The hand on your stomach should move more than the hand on your chest.
The three more full breaths and concentrate on the rising and falling motion of your stomach with every breath.
Focused Breathing
When you breathe deeply, picture a phrase or word in your mind that relaxes you. Close your eyes, inhale and exhale a few times in a row. Now, inhale again and imagine that the air is filled with a calming sensation. Try to feel this sensation in your body. When you exhale, picture the tension and stress leaving your body.
Now use a phrase or word each time you breathe. When you exhale, say something like “I inhale peace and calm.” When you exhale, declare “I release stress and negativity.”
Continue this exercise for between 10-20 minutes.
Equal Time Inhaling and Exhaling
For this breathing exercise, you need to match the time you inhale with the time you exhale.
Sit down in a comfortable chair or on the floor. Inhale through your nose while counting to five. Exhale through your nose and while counting to five again. Repeat this exercise several times. When you feel comfortable with the five-count, increase with each breath sequence until you get to 10.
Progressively Relax the Muscles
For this breathing technique, you inhale as you tense one of your muscle groups and exhale when you release that muscle group. This exercise is ideal for helping you to relax your mind and body.
To complete this exercise, lie down on the floor and take a few breaths to get your body into a state of calm. Inhale while tensing your foot muscles and exhale while releasing the tension in the feet. Next, breathe in and out while tensing and releasing your calf muscles. Work your way up to the other muscle groups in your body until you get to your face. You’ll likely notice that you feel a sense of tranquility right away.
Make sure that the air you are breathing is healthy. Breathing bad air in deeply can actually cause you harm. If there is bad air outdoors, such as from pollution or wildfire smoke, then you can undo all the good of better breathing habits by harming your health. If you are in a polluted area or in the path of wildfire smoke, practice these exercises indoors and make sure to have the best HEPA air purifier for wildfire smoke.
These exercises can help relieve your stress levels and improve your concentration. You can practice these breathing techniques any time of day if you need to remain calm in a tense situation or at night to prepare your body for a fulfilling night’s sleep.
