Just Breathe
Destress in 5 Minutes or Less
It is so easy to get caught up in the momentum of a busy day and to feel like you have no time to pause. What if something so simple as a few deep breaths taken regularly throughout your day could significantly decrease your stress and actually increase your productivity? The most productive people actually take a break every hour. This break doesn’t have to be long, even one or two minutes can have a huge impact on your stress and energy level and on your overall sense of well-being.
When you are right in the middle of a project and feel the pressure of a seemingly endless to do list, remembering to pause and breathe can be the hardest part. Fortunately, there are many free apps you can rely on.
If you work in front of a computer most of the day there are free apps such as Workrave, Big Stretch Reminder, PC Work Break, Timeout and Break Timer Awareness (one of my faves because it isn’t intrusive, just the sound of a Tibetan singing bowl to remind you to take a break) that will remind you to take a break at exactly the intervals you want.
Since most of us never seem to part with our phones (that’s an issue for another time) downloading an app like Remember to Breathe for $1.99 will not only remind you to take breathing breaks, but will also guide you through breathing exercises. If you want to stick to free try Break Reminder, Randomly Remind Me or Take a Break.
Now that you will remember to put down your work and pause, it’s simple. Try one of these easy breathing exercises.
Exercises:
1. Abdominal Breathing:
Place one hand over your heart and one hand over your abdomen. Slowly breath in to the count of five. Hold for one second and slowly breathe out to the count of five. Do this ten times.
2. Breath of Fire:
Inhale normally and exhale quickly through the nose keeping the mouth closed. The inhale and exhale should be the same length with no pauses in between. The pattern of the breathing is more important than the speed, so it is okay to start slow and build speed with experience. This is best done seated. Try for five rounds of 30 seconds each. You may have to start with shorter rounds and work up to 30 seconds. This technique is great for stress relief as well as respiratory health, concentration, mindfulness and helps digestion. Bonus, it also strengthens the abdominal muscles. To see this demonstrated check out this video
3. Straw Breath:
This one is super easy and especially effective for anxiety. Breathe in normally through the nose, pause briefly and exhale as slowly as possible through the mouth with lips puckered as if you are breathing through a straw. The longer the exhale the better. This will activate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest as opposed to fight or flight).
4. 4-7-8 Breath
Breathe in to the count of four. Hold for the count of seven. Breathe out for the count of eight. Notice the exhalation is longer than the inhalation. This is effective for relaxing the nervous system and helps to relieve anxiety. Try for four to eight rounds.
Upon completing your chosen breathing exercise take a moment to check in with yourself. How do you feel? Are you calmer? Less tense? More centered and balanced? As you continue through your day notice how you interact with yourself and with others. Build your self-awareness and notice when it's time for another breathing break.
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