This week has been crazy! We all need some quick ways to disengage, relax, and de-stress. With just a few minutes you can get reset and back on track with the rest of your day. This exercise is great to start the morning, at night, or anytime during the day!

How deep breathing works

One great way to describe it is done by UofM medicine. They say, "Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. This is because when you breathe deeply, it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body. Those things that happen when you are stressed, such as increased heart rate, fast breathing, and high blood pressure, all decrease as you breathe deeply to relax" (source).

Beginner Technique

Belly breathing is easy to do and very relaxing. Try this basic exercise anytime you need to relax or relieve stress.

1. Sit or lie flat in a comfortable position.
2. Put one hand on your belly just below your ribs and the other hand on your chest.
3. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and let your belly push your hand out. Your chest should not move.
4. Breathe out through pursed lips as if you were whistling. Feel the hand on your belly go in, and use it to push all the air out.
5. Do this breathing 3 to 10 times. Take your time with each breath.
6. Notice how you feel at the end of the exercise.

Advanced Technique

If you liked the technique above and are looking for more, do a quick search for "4-7-8 Breathing" which is a more advanced technique. There are many other breathing techniques out there.

If you liked this article and would like more, feel free to let us know via email contact@selfcareshower.com!

These exercises were copied from https://www.uofmhealth.org/, stress management.