A simple technique to try when you feel stressed is slow deep breathing. It sounds too simple to actually do anything, right? No, it really works and here’s how. When we get stressed, our body gets tense and when that happens our body goes into fight or flight mode (our bodies response is Autonomic nervous system activation). The heart rate increases, our breathing gets faster, digestion decreases, our pupils constrict and we become anxious. If this were just a short term thing and we returned back to a relaxed state, it would be ok, but when we are living that way for long periods of time, it can wreak havoc on our body systems and make us feel terrible. There is a connection between the body and mind and that is our breath. When we are anxious the breathing is rapid conversely when we are calm the breathing is slow and controlled. So to bridge the connection between the body and the mind, use the breath to slow them both down. If we focus on our breathing and use simple techniques, then we can actually slow the mind down and relax the body as well. Our body gets its other response system, called the Relaxation response or the Parasympathetic nervous system going and we feel the calming effects. This is the system we think of as “rest and digest” and the name pretty much tells us what it is doing. When it is active we feel relaxed, our digestion increases and our pupils dilate it is the opposite to the “fight or flight” system.
So here’s a quick exercise to try this out:
Sit in a relaxed position where you won’t be disturbed for 5 or more minutes and close your eyes. Bring all of your attention to your breath and see what it is doing without trying to make any changes to it. After several repetitions, try to make your inhaling breath come through your nose (only if you can), and focus your attention to your belly and try to imagine that you could make it expand like a balloon with your inhalation. On your exhaling breath, imagine you are going to blow a candle out with your mouth slowly. and you will notice that your belly returns to normal. If you notice your mind and thoughts coming in, bring your attention back to your breathing. Repeat this for the 5 minutes trying your best to keep your full attention on your breathing.
After doing this exercise, notice how your mind and body feel in this present moment. It is a quick way to bring yourself back into your body and out of your scattered mind. Bringing ourselves into the Relaxation response as many times a day as you need to will enhance your wellness and make you feel happier.
Remember we can’t control everything, but we can make ourselves more well in this moment and that will make the next moments even better. Keep breathing!