We rarely notice it but something we do every second of every day without a thought is actually one of the best ways to regulate our mental state.
Breathing!
Breathing deeply is probably the simplest and most effective way to counteract stress. It’s one of the weirdest bodily functions because it’s both involuntary and voluntary. While you can breathe and be unaware of it, you can also control it.
The science bit makes sense. Our alarm or stress response, otherwise known as “fight or flight” stimulates a part of the brain that triggers a physical change in our body. Our pupils dilate so we can see better, our blood vessels dilate and push more oxygen, some of our less critical systems (like digestion) slow down, all to allow us to cope with the threat ahead, even if that threat is perceived in our mind. The counteraction is called rest and digest, it’s another part of our autonomic nervous system. When we are threatened or stressed, this counteraction tries to combat the effects and one way we can help it along is to stop and focus on our breathing.
It can take a little practice and there are some good apps that can help. I used to practice using a ticking clock, breathing in for 4 seconds, holding for 4 and breathing out for 4 seconds.
It’s essentially a mindful practice, when you are fully emersed and focused on your breathing, the outside world can disappear for those moments. No more worrying about the future or thinking about the past.
I’m sure it sounds too simple to be true right? Try it the net time you feel stress building or if your mind is full at night when you’re trying to sleep. What have you got to lose?
