Breath Work for Stress

Get overwhelmed and anxious?

Because, same. Feelings of overwhelm and stress can come up in many different situations and be brought on by a variety of things, however, sometimes it comes up at the worst possible time.

How do you combat these? The idea isn't always to fight it but instead to manage it properly and effectively. One of the best and most effective tools I have is breath work. It's simple, easy and can be done just about anywhere. This makes it a great go-to tool no matter where you are or the situation.

Breath work doesn't need to be reserved solely for when you are having an anxiety attack. It's something I use on a regular basis to manage my overall levels of stress and to promote relaxation. Progressive relaxation should be used specifically to help manage stress. There are other breathing techniques I'd recommend for anxiety and/or panic attacks.

Progressive Relaxation

This type of breathing is great to do right before bed, I've found that it can even put me to sleep when done correctly. The idea here is to literally let your mind, heart and body relax progressively. You do that by breathing out longer than you breathe in. I recommend finding the right counts for you but start by breathing in for 3 and out for 5. Repeat and let the air flow out of you feeling your body relax with each exhale.