Greetings!
My apologies to all my readers for a long silence from my side.
This has been quite stressful time. An excellent chance for myself to practice stress management techniques. They work faultlessly for me as they do for anybody. They don't always have to be complicated. Sometimes, the best thing to do when in a stressful situation is to just stop and take a deep breath.
Let's talk about deep breathing today.
Take a deep breath in....one...two...three...four....Hold it...And release ...one...two...three...four.
You are very welcome to share your feedback, questions and ideas you would like to read about.
This would help me to address your needs better and help you create less stress and a more balanced life.
Just leave your comments.
Dr. Inese Millere
M.D.,M.A.,C.H.Ed (Dip Stress Mgt)
Holistic Stress Management Coach
info@action4balance.com
Your Action, Your Balance
FEATURED ARTICLE
Deep Breathing For Stress Relief
Breathing is a necessity of life that most people tend to take for granted. With each breath of air, you obtain oxygen and release the waste product carbon dioxide.
Have you noticed that when under stress your breathing becomes shallow or you even hold your breath?
As a result you breathe in less oxygen and breathe out less of the toxic waste product carbon dioxide, making it harder to for you to cope with stressful situations.
The way you breathe affects your whole body. Improper breathing contributes to anxiety, panic attacks, depression, muscle tension, tension headaches, and fatigue.
Deep breathing is a very simple but an essential stress reducer for women. This is because when you breathe deeply it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body. Those things that happen when you are stressed, such as increased heart rate, fast breathing, and high blood pressure, all decrease as you breathe deeply to relax.
Deep breathing for just one minute tones your entire body, increases body oxygen and relieves fatigue. It also reduces hot flashes in women going through menopause.
It works well in conjunction with other relaxation techniques such as progressive muscular relaxation, visualization and meditation for stress relief.
Breathing exercises are easy to learn. You can do them whenever you want, and you don't need any special tools or equipment to do them.
Try this exercise next time you feel stressed and anxious, and notice the effect it has on your mental and physical well-being.
Do it right now while reading!
- Inhale through the nose slowly and deeply to count of four (Make sure that the stomach and abdomen expand but the chest does not raise up)
- Exhale through the mouth, slowly and completely, making a quite, relaxing, whooshing sound like a wind as you blow gently out. Relax your mouth, tongue and jaw; also to the count of four.
- Repeat five to ten times if you have time and make it a habit of doing the exercise several times a day, even when not feeling stressed.
Your challenge for the next week is to take a long, deliberate breath before each small task you do, from the moment you awaken until the moment you go to bed.
Start right in the morning and take one deep inhale and exhale after you turn off your alarm clock and stand up. Breathe before you turn on the taps and splash your face with water. Breathe before you take off your nightgown or pajamas.
Breathe at red lights; before you answer a phone, as you walk into your office, as you are listening to someone else speak and so on.
You get the picture! As you go about your business, concentrate on breathing-it will slow down your day ever so slightly but help improve your efficiency and reduce your stress as you calmly focus on being present to the little tasks at hand.
TIP: place sticky notes - reminders around the house or office. Each time you see the note take a deep relaxing inhale... one ...two...three and exhale... one ...two...three Ahhhh.
If you have any questions about stress or stress management, submit them on our Ask The Expert page! And don't forget to visit the site regularly to learn new stress management techniques or submit your own stories and tips.
Remember, I can help you reduce your stress and rebalance your life ! (Lean about Stress Management coaching benefits)
The Action and the Balance is up to You
0 comments:
Post a Comment