Deep breathing is a popular relaxation technique that helps to control the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and anger. The skill is easy to learn and provides near-immediate relief from uncomfortable symptoms.
As the name suggests, deep breathing works by taking slow, deep breaths, to trigger the body's relaxation response.
Use the following steps to be well on your way to developing a better breathing habit.
Ensure that you are sitting on a comfortable chair or laying on a bed
Take a breath in for 4 seconds (through the nose if possible
Hold your breath for 2 seconds
Release the breathtaking 6 seconds (through the nose if possible)., then pause slightly before breathing in again.
Practice, practice, practice!
When you are doing your breathing exercises, make sure that you are using a stomach breathing style rather than a chest breathing style.
You can check this by placing one hand on your stomach and one hand on your chest.
The hand on your stomach should rise when you breathe in.
Try to practice at least once or twice a day at a time when you can relax, relatively free from distraction.
This will help to develop a more relaxed breathing habit. The key to progress really is practice, so try to set aside sometime each day.
Practice means progress. Only through practice can you become more aware of your muscles, how they respond to tension, and how you can relax them.
Training your body to respond differently to stress is like any training – practising consistently is the key.