5 breathing exercises to relieve stress
What's the story
Breathing is an essential part of our lives, but most of us forget how it can improve our wellness. With the right breathing techniques, you can make yourself healthier, both physically and mentally. Here, we have five beginner-friendly breathing tips which you can easily follow in your daily life. These techniques will help you relieve stress, boost energy, and enhance overall well-being without much time.
Relaxation
Deep breathing for relaxation
Deep breathing is another easy technique. Here, you inhale deeply through the nose, letting your lungs fill with air completely. This technique helps calm the nervous system and reduce stress levels. Just practicing deep breathing for five minutes a day can improve relaxation and mental clarity noticeably. It is a great way to unwind after a long day or prepare for meditation.
Diaphragmatic
Diaphragmatic breathing technique
Diaphragmatic breathing emphasizes on engaging the diaphragm instead of shallow chest breaths. To practice this, keep one hand on your chest and one on your abdomen and take slow breaths through the nose. The idea is to make sure only your abdomen rises as you inhale deeply. This method increases lung capacity and improves the flow of oxygen through the body.
Alternate nostril
Alternate nostril breathing practice
Alternate nostril breathing is a technique where you gently close one nostril while inhaling through the other, and vice versa. This technique balances energy levels by harmonizing the brain's hemispheres. It's particularly helpful for those wanting to improve their concentration or seeking relief from anxiety. The practice promotes a sense of calm and balance throughout the body, making it ideal for mental wellness.
Box breathing
Box breathing method for focus
Box breathing is made up of four equal parts: inhale, hold breath, exhale, and hold again—all for four seconds each. This regimented approach helps improve focus by normalizing breath patterns consistently over a time period (like during work breaks or study sessions), when you would lose concentration quickly otherwise.
Sleep improvement
4-7-8 technique for sleep improvement
The 4-7-8 technique enhances your sleep quality by relaxing your muscles before your bedtime routine kicks in full swing every night. If practiced consistently, regularly enough, over a period of time (weeks, months, and so on), it eventually leads to deeper, restful slumber cycles. Longer durations uninterruptedly too!