There is a story told that when Native American’s first met the white man they thought he was not breathing. Their natural way of breathing was with relaxed, deep, belly breaths. In contrast the white men tended to breathe with tense, shallow breaths. So with a big thanks to many of our ancestors that is how many of us breathe today. And while that may be wired a bit in our DNA it’s more likely just a common way to breathe when we are stressed.
Research proves that one of the quickest ways to relieve stress is through deep breathing. Slow, deep breaths stimulate the parasympathetic reaction which calms us down. Here are a few of the many benefits of relaxed breathing…
- lowered blood pressure and heart rate
- reduced levels of stress hormones in the blood
- reduced lactic acid build-up in muscle tissue
- balanced levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood
- improved immune system functioning
- increased physical energy
- increased feelings of calm and wellbeing.
So there you have it! A simple way to destress anywhere, anytime. All you have to do is pay attention to your breathing Focus on on the in and out of your breath. If you want to take it a step further try to feel your heart beat without putting your hand on your chest. It takes a little practice but soon you’ll be able to do it. While you are concentrating on your breath and your heartbeat that crazy monkey-mind of racing thoughts will slow and the stress will release from your body. Simple as that. Do this as many times during the day as you can. That frequent relaxation in little bursts will calm your amygdala and increase your creativity and problem-solving skills. We can all use that!
As you probably know I love tapping. Tapping is a great way to loosen your breath and lower stress. For those of you who enjoy tapping here is a script for you to use. If you have never heard of tapping check out this resource… Go to http://www.eftuniverse.com/research-and-studies/eft-research or listen to http://youtu.be/WH2b81Nvd20
Tapping Script
Take a deep breath. Rate it 1-10 with 10 being loose and full, easy to breathe and 1 being tight and hard to take a deep breath.
Karate Chop:
Even though my chest is tight and breath is shallow, I love and accept myself anyway.
Even though I can’t breathe deeply I accept how I feel.
Even though my breathing is tight I love myself anyway.
Eyebrow: This constricted breathing.
Side of Eye: My tight chest.
Under Eye: My breath is shallow.
Under Nose: All this stress in my body.
Chin Point: My tight shoulders.
Collar Bone: This tightness in my chest.
Under Arm: This tightness.
Top of Head: All this stress.
Take another deep breath. Rate it between 1-10. Can you breath easier? Keep tapping until your breath is free and easy.
Have an amazing Monday, ( and everyday!)
Leanna Fredrich, Leadership, Career and Stress Management Consultant
Adv. EFT, Adv. Psych-K
Leanna@amazingmondays.com