A Simple Stress Buster

July 22, 2019

We are all so stressed – we’re busier than we’ve ever been, commuting farther to our jobs than we ever have and working longer hours.  Many families include two working parents who struggle to get dinner on the table every night, get the kids to all of their activities and get the housework done.  But being constantly under stress can wreak havoc on the body and lead to disrupted sleep, headaches, digestive problems, depression, anxiety and many other issues, increasing the overall risk of disease.
 
One way of coping with the constant stressors of daily life is to just take a minute to breathe.  There are many established breathing techniques that have been shown to reduce cortisol (our stress hormone) levels in the blood and to lower blood pressure, thereby lowering the risk of conditions and diseases brought on by stress.  These breathing techniques involve being aware of your breath and are known as mindful breathing.
 
The following is an example of a mindful breathing technique that is simple and easy to commit to memory, so you can do it at home, at the office, while you’re waiting in line or sitting in a waiting room, when you’re in bed trying to fall asleep…anywhere that works for you.
 
1.  Sit or stand comfortably.
2.  Begin a slow count to 4 as you inhale through your nose.
3.  Count to 4 as you exhale through your mouth.
4.  Breathe in to the count of 5 (through your nose).
5.  Breathe out to the count of 5 (through your mouth).
6.  Breathe in to the count of 6.
7.  Breathe out to the count of 6.
 
That’s it, although you can certainly keep going (7-8-9) or repeat (4-5-6 again) if you like!  Doing a breathing exercise like this for just a minute or two per day can make a huge change in how you feel and how you react to stress.  Try it and let me know what you think!