There are lots of breathing exercises you can do to help relax.
One of the best ones is belly breathing. It's simple to learn and easy to do.
If you have never done deep breathing exercises before, this is a great place to start. Belly breathing, also known as diaphragmatic breathing, is a great way to relieve stress, drop into your body, and relax.
Diaphragmatic breathing is intended to help you use the diaphragm correctly while breathing to:
- Strengthen the diaphragm
- Help relieve tension on the body
- Decrease the work of breathing by slowing your breathing rate
- Help stabilize blood pressure
- Use less effort and energy to breathe
- Decrease oxygen demand
As you ponder the ups and downs of life, the daily challenges, and the mental health stigmas, give this a try:
1. Sit or lie down in a comfortable, quiet place ⠀
2. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach, just below the ribs⠀
3. Inhale slowly through the nose - try not to let your chest move, instead concentrate on sending the air into the palm that's on your stomach ⠀
4. Exhale slowly through the mouth - purse the lips into an 'o' as if you are going to take a sip of water through a straw ⠀
5. Repeat at least 3 times!
Try this breathing exercise for 5–10 minutes at a time, around three to four times each day.
Just imagine that each breath is sweeping away stress, and you may calm your anxiety in just a minute or two.
