Focusing on your breathing is essential for your self care toolkit. We all breathe naturally without thinking throughout the day and as we sleep. By understanding what your breath can do for you, you will gain strides in managing your stress levels. Consequently, with the added benefit of improved health.

Breathing exercises

By incorporating breathing exercises into your day, you are giving your mind a chance to calm down and reset itself to tackle the next challenge. I engage a simple exercise every morning before I get going. I take a deep, slow breath in through my nose and exhale quickly through my mouth. Concurrently, I notice how my body posture changes with both instances of that breath.

Then I repeat the exercise a second time and pay even more attention to my body. I then follow those with the deepest, slowest breaths I can possibly take in. I try to visualize the air reaching the tips of my extremities. When I feel like the air has travelled to my toes and fingers, I hold it for a couple of seconds and then let it out as fast as I can.

I do this three times in a row. At the same time, incorporating neck stretches in between each one. As well as torso contractions and extensions. This is a sort of sitting version of the yoga cat-cow pose which helps synchronize breath movement. I find it makes me focus on the muscles connected to my lungs. With this focus, I try to open the chest as much as possible to get more air in. I repeat the exercise I initially did two more times. This wraps up my breathing routine, but I try to expunge more air than I did at the beginning.

I find this routine helps me expand my lungs. It gives me a sense of calm to tackle the day. Simultaneously, it makes me aware of any aches and pains my body is feeling in that moment. By giving yourself body awareness, it makes it easier and faster to identify when things go downhill.

Practice makes perfect

Ensuring you dedicate 5 minutes at the very least once a day to focus on breathing, you are setting yourself up for better self care. It’s simple, it doesn’t cost you anything, and the return on benefits outweighs the investment you put into it.

Regular focus on your breath can help identify periods of higher stress. In turn, this can help you bring it down by engaging in simple breathing exercises. If you meditate or practice yoga, you are already aware of how to monitor your breath. For anyone unfamiliar to breathing, it can be hard to learn. There are many apps that can help guide you through the process. Alternatively, there are videos on YouTube you could watch, and countless books and resources online too. Finding a way to incorporate breathing exercises into your day will improve your overall health. There are many different ways to approach this.

The more you breathe, the better you get at it

I tend to carry my stress in my neck and shoulders, only to be exacerbated by working on a computer all day. Incorporating breathing first thing in the morning helps me start my workday in a more relaxed state. By lunch I usually notice tension in my upper body. When I check in on my breath, it has become shallow. By taking two-to-three deep breaths to reset, I feel some of that tension slip away. It’s only a minute or two in total. Wow, it’s that easy! I can do it anywhere, my desk, the bathroom, while I prepare food, it doesn’t matter where.

What matters is that you breathe. If I’m in a heated discussion and find myself getting agitated, a trigger goes off now in my brain that signals me to take a breath. In so doing, I can refocus the conversation. Also, it gives me a reminder, of what is and what is not in my control. By the end of the day, I repeat the exercise before I call it a night. By taking a few breaths, I allow myself to be reminded, that it is time to slow down and wind down. I will sleep better for it.

Added benefits

Mindful breathing has been shown to reduce stress levels in your body, but there are many other benefits. Your heart rate lowers with deep breathing, and it regulates blood pressure. Diabetic symptoms improve and metabolism increases, resulting in better digestion of food. Breathing reduces depression. It increases your endorphins, the “feel good” chemical in our brains, lifting your mood. Those are the same chemicals which also help with pain management. Breathing has also been shown to enhance a variety of cognitive functions. Breathing improves sleep, who can’t enjoy that, and most of all, you improve your body’s immune response. Have you already noticed how you are breathing as you read through this? Have I convinced you yet that you need to start breathing mindfully?

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I am not an expert in yoga nor a medical professional, and I suck at meditating. But I know what feels good in my body and only you can figure out what works for your body. There is plentiful of research showing that focusing on your breath is beneficial to your overall well-being. By focusing on deep breathing, you are giving yourself the ability to reset. Use breathe techniques in different environments. We are surrounded with more stimuli than we can handle, breathing can give you reprieve.

Breathing is hard to incorporate at first. Put a post-it note by your fridge or computer monitor to remind yourself to breathe. Or set an alarm on your phone if you are always on the go. Whatever method you choose to incorporate breathing, just ensure you dedicate time at least once a day to get started. Then increase the frequency and duration over time. A few minutes here and there, and you will reap the rewards immediately and long-term with a sustained practice.

IMAGE CREDIT: Unsplash | Fabian Møller.