Stress Less, Breathe More
Stress may be unavoidable for most people, but it certainly doesn't have to rule your life. In fact, there are many ways you can manage your stress and reduce the negative effects it has on your body. For example, you might try practicing some of these easy breathing exercises and learn to simply breathe in a more healthy way.
In this blog post, we'll explore some different breath-based activities that will help you prevent or reduce stress after just a few minutes.
Note: This article is not intended as a replacement for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are suffering from any illness or experiencing symptoms of illness, please see your doctor promptly, and don't practice these breathing exercises if you're feeling ill.
Breathing Exercises to Reduce Stress
A few of the following exercises will be able to reduce stressors and improve your overall health over time. While stressful events may seem to be unavoidable in our lives, you can get a hold of your stress and even prevent yourself from feeling stressed in the first place through simple techniques like these breathing exercises. They can also help improve your relationships with other people around you.
Note: To get the full benefits of these exercises, try to spend at least 5 minutes a day on them. You can practice them in the morning before your day begins or any other time where you have a few minutes to spare.
1. The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise – A Simple Breath to Manage Stress and Calm Your Body Down
The 4-7-8 breathing exercise is one of the easiest ways to practice mindfulness and encourage a calmer state of mind when you're feeling overwhelmed. It's very simple, but it can be very effective if you'd like more information on the physiology behind it (and some YouTube videos) check out this article here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/finding-the-way-forward/201205/breathing-exercise-to-calm-anxiety
This exercise can be done anywhere and you'll feel the effects almost immediately. It is simply counting to 4 while you breathe in, holding your breath for 7 seconds and then exhaling fully through your mouth for 8 seconds.
If you're having trouble with this exercise, take a moment to learn about diaphragmatic breathing and how to practice it consistently. You can also try this simple breathing exercise to help practice your diaphragmatic breathing skills: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/find-your-way-forward/201305/breathing-exercise-mindfulness
2. The Reverse Breathing Exercise – A Simple Breathing Technique to Reduce Stress and Promote a Calmer State of Mind
The reverse breathing exercise is a simple way to train your body to calm down and bring your mind into a better place when you are stressed. It's easy to learn, and it will help you focus on the things in your life that are healthy, rather than worrying about all of the stressful things that happen.
This exercise can be done anywhere, anytime with any breathing exercise that you know works for you.
You can also try this simple breathing exercise to help practice your reverse breathing skills: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/find-your-way-forward/201305/breathing-exercise-relaxation
3. The Alka Seltzer Breathing Technique – A Breathing Exercise to Relieve Stress and Anxiety
This is a simple technique that uses the salt water inhaler (which is also common at many drug stores) to help relieve stress and promote a calmer state of mind. It's easy to learn, and there are a few videos online that show you how it works.
To learn more about this technique, you can check out these videos:
4. The One-Minute Breath Exercise – A Simple Breathing Technique to Relax Your Mind and Body
This is a simple breathing technique that can help you relax in just one minute. All you need to do is clear your mind, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth while you think about the numbers from 1-6. One becomes "inhale," and six becomes "exhale," so as you count, imagine that you're breathing out tension with each number. Repeat this step until you reach the number 6 and then just focus on breathing for another 30 seconds to a minute.
To learn more about this exercise, you can check out this video:
5. The 4-7-8 Exercise with Progressive Relaxation – A Simple Breathing Technique to Reduce Stress
This is another variation on the 4-7-8 breathing technique that combines breathing with mindfulness. This exercise allows you to relax your entire body, which can help to reduce stress and bring comfort back into your life. This method is great for people who are getting used to the idea of mindfulness, but struggle with it because they aren't fully comfortable with closing their eyes and focusing on their breath.
You can check out the full instructions for this exercise here:
6. The 3-2-1 Breathing Exercise – A Simple Breathing Technique to Reduce Stress and Anxiety
This is a powerful breathing exercise that can help reduce stress and promote relaxation in a short amount of time. It's also perfect for people who have trouble learning mindfulness and want a more mechanical way to practice. The 3-2-1 breathing exercise is very simple, and you'll be able to use it anywhere and anytime you need to calm yourself down. You can learn more information about this technique >>>here<<< and watch some videos on YouTube that show you how it works: https://www.mindfulnesscouncil.org/3-2-1-breathing-exercise/
7. The 3-2-1 Technique (Brace Yourself!) – A Simple Breathing Exercise to Reduce Stress and Anxiety
This is a variation on the 3, 2, 1 technique that uses your breath to bring you into a mindful state. It's very simple and can help you relax in less than one minute. If you're looking for something that's more hands on, this is also a great one to try: https://www.mindfulnesscouncil.org/3-2-1-breathing-exercise/
8. The 4-7-8 Exercise with Belly Breathing – A Simple Breathing Technique to Manage Stress and Calm Your Mind Down
This is a variation on the standard 4-7-8 breathing technique that uses a few simple steps to help you relax your mind and body. This technique can be used at almost any time, but it's best if you are sitting down and using a meditation cushion. If you don't have one, you can use a pillow instead.
To learn more about this exercise, check out this video:
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Conclusion
If you're really struggling with stress and anxiety, then you may want to consult a professional to get help. If you would like more information about how to find a mindfulness therapist, the best books on mindfulness, and great articles and tips on living mindfully every day, please check out my Mindfulness Library – A Place for Mindful People.
I have also written an 8-week Mindfulness course that teaches people how they can use simple breathing exercises to reduce stress and anxiety while at work or at home in their spare time. You can check it out here: https://www.psychologytoday.