How Breathing Differently Can Make You Happier
Are you feeling down, stressed out or just feeling a little off? It may not be that you have the flu. It's very possible that stress is the culprit.
Stress can run rampant in your body and wreak havoc on your health. By changing your breathing pattern, you can reverse the effects of stress.
When you are caught in a stressful situation, your heart races, blood pressure rises and breathing becomes shallow and rapid. The body reacts to the stressful situation by taking a number of steps to deal with it and keep you safe: Your heart beats faster. Your blood vessels expand to increase circulation, pumping more oxygen-rich blood throughout your system. Muscles tense up in preparation for action. Your brain sparks first an alarm system and then higher levels of alertness; hormones like adrenaline are released as a result of the increased arousal.
The problem with stress is that your body has become a battleground for the fight-or-flight response. You are fighting or you are fleeing, and your goal is to keep yourself safe at all costs. Your body can't go back to normal after that event and you may have a host of physical reactions, many of which have long-lasting effects: muscle tension and pain, lack of focus (or even a "zombie" zombie), insomnia, anxiety and depression.
If you're feeling stressed out right now, just try breathing differently. Breathing can affect your stress response in two major ways: By making you more relaxed or by making you more alert.
Many of us have been taught to breathe shallowly and not to breathe deeply because it will make your stomach "bob up and down" – and that's not attractive to look at. You don't want to be breathing like Darth Vader either. The key is to develop a diaphragmatic breathing pattern with smooth, regular breaths, without pushing the air out or holding your breath. Inhale slowly through the nose while counting slowly up to 4 and exhale steadily through your mouth while counting back down from 4. (If you want to make it even more relaxing, you can think about a calm and happy place.)
Try this to find out if it works for you:
1. Lie down on a bed or on the floor in a comfortable position. Closing your eyes may make it easier to slow your breathing down.
2. Inhale slowly through your nose counting slowly up to 4, while relaxing your stomach as you breathe in. You should feel the entire abdomen expanding with each breath, so that when your lungs are full, your stomach should be soft and relaxed. Don't be concerned if at first you have trouble filling up your lungs completely; keep practicing and it will get easier with time and practice.
3. Hold your breath for another count of 4.
4. Exhale slowly through your mouth while counting back down from 4 to 1 and feel the air leaving your lungs completely. As you breathe out, relax the abdomen and let it fall inwards slightly, feeling it against your spine. This is similar to the way a child smells a flower; you're breathing deeply into the belly first, then into the chest second, instead of just letting all the air flow out of your lungs immediately when you exhale rapidly (the type of breathing we do when we are anxious).
5. If you are in a comfortable position, you should feel sleepy and your eyes will be heavy. If this is indeed the case for you, lie down and rest for 15 minutes or so before getting up again.
You may notice that with this kind of breathing you become naturally alert, but not stressed. You will be more focused and ready to take on the day ahead. Instructing children to do this method of breathing when they are upset can have a calming effect on them and make them more receptive to listening to directions they might otherwise not listen to. And if children learn to control their breathing in order to calm themselves down, it will be easier for them to breathe with ease when they are older and under stress.
This method is called abdominal breathing or diaphragmatic breathing, because the diaphragm is involved in breathing. The diaphragm moves up and down in order to inhale or exhale. It's a large muscle that sits between the abdomen (lower belly) and the chest, right below your lungs.
If you have trouble controlling your breath, tell yourself that you are going to take slow deep breaths linked together with an exhalation count of 4 and inhalation count of 1.
Conclusion:
Taking several deep cleansing breaths can calm your body down and make you feel relaxed. You can also use the deep breathing technique when you feel stressed out to get yourself back on track. Doing this will help you focus and become more positive throughout your day. Give it a try!