Anxiety is very real and at an all time high right now. This brings up the need for tools on how to help cope while social distancing. Believe it or not, breathing can be one of the most powerful ways to help cope with this. We know, tuning into your breath can sound a bit “woo woo” but studies have shown that just 5 minutes a day for 6 weeks can help improve the following:
- Mood
- Perceived Stress
- Attention/focus
- Pain tolerance
- Digestion
- Sleep
- Sense of control
There are two parts to your nervous system. Sympathetic (“fight or flight”) and parasympathetic (“rest and digest”.) Breathing consciously trains your nervous system to get more into the parasympathetic side which a.k.a healing mode 😎
The key is to do it often, the more you do it, the more you are training your mind and body to stay calm when a stressful situation arises (like our current world pandemic). Yes, it takes a little bit of work, but it is SO worth it. It’s like gaining a super power 💪🏽
Belly Breathing Technique
- Place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest
- Take a deep breath in through your nose (Count to four slowly)
- Feel your diaphragm expand with your hand that is placed there.
- Slowly exhale. (Count to 8)
- When the exhale is longer than the inhale, this triggers the parasympathetic response which is calming to your mind and body.
Just try 5 min a day and let us know how it goes!
Check out this study on how cortisol levels, attention and focus improved between a Breathing Intervention Group and a Control group. For more information on how to treat the root cause of disease, visit Natural Balance.
This information is for educational purposes only and is NOT medical advice.
