4 Effective Breathing Techniques to Combat Stress Click To Tweet

Are you stressed or anxious? In that case, you can take advantage of some awesome breathing techniques that are a great help in combating these phenomena.

Breathing is a matter of course and many don’t think about it, but did you know that if you have stress, your breathing will change?

Both stress and anxiety are coping mechanisms. Their purpose is to “invite” a person to escape from something that the brain perceives as harmful or dangerous.

On the other hand, it is important that you remember one thing: the human nervous system and sympathetic system react very strongly to this type of emotion.

Therefore, it happens that the  heart rate increases, the pulse rises and breathing becomes more difficult. All of these symptoms can increase the risk of having a heart attack, angina pectoris or even paralysis.

Also, don’t forget that a bad way to breathe causes the body to not get the amount of oxygen it needs, which then causes more damage.

So you should become familiar with how you can better manage your emotions, and you should also learn to breath properly.

In fact, it is the case that  breathing well means living well.

Next, we’ll tell you about techniques that can be a great help in managing stress thanks to their breath-enhancing effect. Keep reading and experience their great power!

1. Sequence of seconds breathing

Breathing in sequences of seconds, also known as “samavriti pranayama”, is the simplest breathing technique.

You can do this  while you are in bed for 20 minutes before you go to bed. This will allow you to get better sleep and get a deep and restful sleep.

Here’s how this breathing happens.

Steps to perform a series of seconds of breathing

• Sit on your bed with your back straight and your legs crossed.
• Take a deep breath for three minutes while trying to relax.
• Now then inhale for three seconds, hold your breath for another three seconds, and then finally use three seconds to exhale.
• Then rest for a while.
• Repeat the same sequence again, but this time adding more cycles to four seconds(inhale, hold, and exhale).

You can repeat the same sequence until you reach seven or eight seconds. It all depends here on what your own experience is and what your personal traits are.

2. Abdominal breathing

If you think about it more closely, you may notice that during a recent series of seconds of  breathing, your chest area expanded.

However, there is a different goal for abdominal breathing, namely concentrating the breath on the diaphragm, and this is a very effective way to treat stress, tension, and anxiety.

Steps to perform abdominal breathing

• Lie on the bed or sofa.
• Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
• Breathe deeply through your nose for three seconds.
• Pay attention to how  your abdomen expands and how your upper chest stretches.
• Then  exhale slowly for four seconds.

Ideally, you would repeat this ten times very slowly  , focusing on that “magical” area, i.e. the diaphragm.

3. “Continuous” breathing

This technique is also one good option for channeling stress and  requires a bit of practice and patience. You can try it within your own capabilities.

Then, when you can master the technology better, you will find that  it benefits your entire body.

• The continuous breathing technique involves breathing five times per minute.
• This way, you can optimize your heart rate as well as relax your nervous system. It’s amazing how well this technique channels tension, and it’s a really good help for stress.

How is this technology implemented?

• Sit with your back straight.
• Put the clock in front of you.
• The goal is to inhale and exhale five times in one minute.
• It is a good idea to first test your ability to control your own breathing.
• If you can’t limit yourself to five breaths a minute,  start with six or seven.
• However, the idea is that you will eventually get to five breaths per minute, and once you are at that level, you will already be much better.

4. Alternative inhalation through the nose

Alternative nasal  breathing may seem strange if you have not tried this technique before. That’s why it’s a good idea to do this a little bit every day so you can become aware of its increasing benefits.

Then, when you finally get used to the technology, you can notice its two main consequences:

• First,  you are better able to channel and release stress.
• Second, you can focus more effectively on the moment at hand.

Steps to practice alternative nasal breathing

• Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight.
• Relax for a few minutes.
• Then use the thumb of your right hand to cover your right nostril with it.
• Take a deep breath through your left nostril, and do this very slowly.
• Once you have reached the maximum point of inhalation and can no longer breathe more air, close your left left nostril with your right hand anonymously.
• Then exhale from the other side.
• Then you will do the same thing again, but the other way around. Once you have  inhaled as much as you can through your right nostril, close it, and exhale through your left nostril.

At first, it may seem that this breathing is difficult, as care must be taken to keep one side closed and the other open. However, once you get used to this exercise, you may find that it makes your breathing rhythmic and very relaxing.

Try these breathing techniques and find their effectiveness in managing stress and anxiety – natural and very effective!