We all deal with stress in our daily lives, from school going students to working adults; everyone has experienced some level of stress. Stress, in generaL, if not dealt effectively with in time, can cause many problems like anxiety or even depression in the long term. Also, people who struggle with self-confidence and procrastination issues tend to stress a lot when put in an uncomfortable situation. In a situation, when we are really stressed or overwhelmed, the best way to calm ourselves at the very moment is by taking deep breaths.
Deep breathing is a self-help exercise that has many benefits for our mind and body. Deep and slow breathing relaxes our mind, lowers our blood pressure and brings a balance to our emotions. People often suggest taking deep breaths when we get stressed, that is because slowing our breathing clams us. According to scientific research, we can change our emotional state by changing our breathing pattern which is why deep, slow breathing exercises provide relief from stress.
Deep breathing is part of meditation, yoga, and many martial arts too. It provides a balance between mind and body and helps us to find a center of focus. If you focus on your breathing pattern properly, it is a simple yet powerful relaxation technique. It is also very easy to learn and can be practiced almost anywhere. It provides a quick stress-level check whenever we feel agitated as it is somewhat one of the most basic yet important relaxation exercises. It can also be combined with therapies like aromatherapy and sound therapy. Recently, there has been a boom in the number of apps and audio guides that help the user with the process of deep breathing.
How to practice deep breathing?
- Sit comfortably with your back straight, it can be in bed, in a park, on the rooftop or anywhere.
- Put one hand on your chest and other on your stomach, through this you can feel the flow of your breath.
- Breathe in through your nose, and feel your hand on the stomach rise and the one on the chest move a little.
- Exhale through your mouth as long as you can push out air while contracting the abdominal muscles. Feel the hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.
- Now continue breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth while trying to inhaling enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls.
Things to keep in mind while practicing deep breathing –
- Don’t force yourself to it, as it will only cause more stress.
- Wear comfortable clothes and sit comfortably, but if you find it difficult breathing from your abdomen while sitting up, try lying down.
- Do it in a calm surrounding or put some soothing music in the background.
- You can try many different breathing techniques like 4-7-8 breathing, roll breathing and morning breathing once you get comfortable with deep-breathing.
- Practicing daily and making it part of your daily routine can shows many benefits.
- It can also be practiced while standing, or while sitting in a chair.
Deep breathing exercise helps in releasing all the stress. It also helps in managing our emotions and stress, as it is a healthy coping mechanism that calms us. It helps us focus and become more aware of how we feel and of our surroundings, which has a positive impact on our mental health. Deep-breathing is overall beneficial for our mental, emotional and physical health.
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Whenever I have to present in a meeting I take a few deep breaths and it does help a lot..!!
Worth reading blog. It really helps to release stress. It’s much needed especially at the time of quarantine when people are stressing over many things like work, studies, jobs, etc.
It is really helpful to deal with stress. Take a deep and realise stress 👍
Deep breathing exercise is really helpful to deal with stress. Take a deep and realise stress 👍