What if I told you that there is something you do every moment of every day that can help decrease your stress, improve your mood, and help you sleep?
There is. It’s called breathing.
We never really think about breathing. It’s just something we do. However, it may be one of the most overlooked strategies to make you feel better. Stress has been associated with an increase in shallow breathing, which delivers less oxygen to your brain. By adjusting or restarting your breathing pattern, you can increase the amount of oxygen reaching the brain. Inhaled air delivers oxygen to energize your blood, while your exhaled breath clears toxins from your body. Over time, humans tend to slouch, which puts pressure on the diaphragm and further increases the work of breathing. There is a reason why people breathe into a bag when they panic: because it works.
We’d like to share with you some breathing techniques and patterns to help you through those stressful times and make your life a little happier.
This technique is taught by most psychologists to people who are dealing with stress and anxiety. It is quick and can be done anywhere, at any time.
Abdominal breathing has been shown to decrease heart rate and blood pressure by through activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system plays a key role in digestion, rest, and recovery.
This type of breathing is recommended before bed. It can clear your mind of racing thoughts and help you fall asleep.
Skull-shining breathing requires a little force. It can be used to promote focus and increase energy during slumps in your day.
This breathing technique brings about an overall relaxed feeling and can help you wake up. Taking a few deep breaths increases the volume of oxygen getting to your lungs, therefore increasing the volume of oxygen reaching your brain and other organs. Be mindful of how your chest and abdomen expand and contract with each breath.
We take the breath for granted, yet it is essential to our existence. When you learn to control it, you begin to have greater control over your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
Life is busy. Just don’t forget to breathe!
Check out how running can benefit your life. Why Run?
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Call it intuition, instinct, or a gut feeling: if we followed it, we just might be a lot happier. Intuition is a skill we are all born with, but one we submerge in the business of modern living.