3 breathing exercise proven to reduce stress.
Why should I do breathing exercises?
We all know that deep breathing can help us feel better in certain emotional situations. In health-related disciplines, such as yoga, relaxation therapy, and mindfulness meditation, breathing control plays a crucial role in calming the mind.
Research has shown that controlled breathing exercises, in addition to their physiological benefits for respiratory and cardiovascular health, can help reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Slow breathing can also promote relaxation and psychological well-being.
The practice of breathing is essential when working with mood and well-being. Simply adjusting the way you breathe can not only affect your heart rate but also affect your nervous system and influence your emotional response.
If you're feeling stressed or anxious, for example, your breathing usually becomes shallow, which can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and trigger the fight-or-flight response. On the other hand, if you breathe in a slow and controlled manner, preferably using your diaphragm, you can activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which induces feelings of calm and relaxation.
Anyone can learn to use breathing exercises to improve their physical and mental health. Here's a simple guide to the basics of controlled breathing and three specific techniques to get you started.
There are copious different breathing exercises and techniques that you can use daily. You are free to choose the one that suits you the best, but keep in mind that specific rules should be followed for it to work.
Follow a certain rhythm.
Control is vital while practicing breathing. It has to follow a certain rhythm, like a beat. It may be helpful to count as you inhale and exhale.
Observing an excellent respiratory rate is crucial that the breathing is not too fast; hyperventilation would only accelerate your heart rate. It's best to breathe in deeply, hold your breath for a moment, and then breathe out slowly.
Breathe better.
Did you know that there is a “common sense” to breathe? To breathe better, inhalation must be through the nose and exhalation through the mouth. It is also essential to living correctly to take the time to breathe out well: for a time spent inhaling, count twice as much at the time of exhalation.
Be focused.
When doing the breathing exercise, try not to think of anything else and feel the airflow as you inhale and exhale. It would help if you were focused on what you are doing. It is more beneficial to practice a breathing technique for a short time when you are entirely in the present moment than for long periods without concentrating.
Use your diaphragm.
When doing a breathing exercise, take a deep breath using your diaphragm (this is the large muscle that’s located at the base of the rib cage): if you hold your sides gently, you will feel it expand sideways as you move. Inhale and contract as you exhale. Hold your breath for a while (about a second or two) to maximize oxygen uptake before releasing it. Studies show that diaphragmatic breathing triggers relaxation reactions that are beneficial for both physical and mental health.
Three breathing exercises to help you manage your mood:
Here are the three breathing techniques that doctors suggest to you to help you manage your mental and physical health.
Diaphragmatic breathing
In which case to use it?
Diaphragmatic breathing or abdominal breathing is helpful to combat anxiety, stress, anxiety attacks, or depression.
When you are anxious or stressed, your breathing becomes faster and shallower, which can upset the balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide and trigger even more anxiety, fear, and panic. The same goes for depression: you can feel sad and tired, which affects your breathing. Your body then receives signals that something is wrong, which can make your condition worse.
Diaphragmatic breathing can help break this cycle by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which instantly triggers a calming response and helps alleviate symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression. But it does take practice, and ideally, you should do this daily for 2-3 months before you start breathing more naturally rather than taking air in your chest.
How to practice deep diaphragmatic breathing
Lie flat on your back with both of your knees bent. Use a pillow if it feels more comfortable.
Place one of your hands on the top of your stomach, just above the diaphragm, where the rib cage ends.
Place the other hand in the middle of the upper part of your chest.
Breathe in slowly through your nose and focus on drawing air into the diaphragm and abdominal muscles.
Your stomach should push against your hand as you breathe in, and your chest should stay still. It takes a little practice.
To breathe out, let your stomach fall as you breathe out through your nose.
Do this exercise every day for 2-3 minutes, then gradually increase to 5-10 minutes or even longer after a few weeks.
Pursed-lip breathing
In which case to use it?
Pursed-lip breathing helps combat anxiety and specific respiratory ailments. This technique enables you to breathe slower, deeper, and more efficiently with less effort. This exercise is often recommended for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other respiratory disorders, such as asthma, but it is also very effective against anxiety.
How to practice pursed-lip breathing?
Sit down with your back straight or lie down.
Inhale through your nose for 2 seconds. Lower the air into your abdomen.
Purse your lips & breathe out slowly, for 4 seconds. You should take twice as long to breathe out as you do to inhale. Over time, you can increase the number of inhales and exhales (for example, to 4 and 8 seconds).
Repeat the exercise for 1 to 10 minutes.
Alternate breathing
In which case to use it?
Alternating nostril breathing helps combat anxiety, stress, insomnia and promotes concentration.
Alternate breathing is a yogic breathing technique that can help calm the mind. It allows the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems to be activated equally, which helps to balance the states of activity and rest. Doing this exercise for 15 minutes can help reduce anxiety when facing a stressful situation.
How to practice alternate nostril breathing?
Sitting comfortably, close your eyes and gently place your ring finger on your left nostril and your right thumb on your right nostril.
Using your right thumb, close your right nostril and breathe in slowly and deeply through your left nostril.
Close your left nostril with your ring finger and open your right nostril. Exhale through the right nostril
Inhale through the right nostril. Using your thumb, close your right nostril and breathe out through the left nostril.
This ends a turn.
Repeat the exercise for 5 to 15 minutes or as long as you want. If you are left-handed, follow the exact instructions with your left hand.