Mindful breathing exercises can help relieve stress

MENTAL HEALTH

News surrounding the cornavirus has brought on a multitude of new worries and anxiety. It’s important to try to take a moment to work on mindful breathwork when you find yourself feeling stressed or anxious. It’s simple, effective, and you can do it anywhere. Here’s how to implement this practice into your daily life: Start with a few cleansing breaths with eyes closed, if you feel comfortable. Then, inhale deeply through the nose, and exhale through the mouth. Repeat until you’ve found the rhythm of your breathing and feel in-tune with your body.

Next, place your hands on your belly, rolling your shoulders back and down. Feel yourself fill with air from the lower belly to the shoulders as you inhale deeply.

On your next exhale, try to relax your shoulders, loosen your jaw and empty the air by pulling your navel inward toward the spine.As your abdominal muscles relax, you’ll feel your stomache round with each inhalation.

When exhaling, try drawing your belly inward and up towards your heart. Continue these breathing techniques with a four-count inhale and a matching four-count exhale. With each exhale, your body gets more relaxed. Be mindful of how you feel as you continue breathing, paying attention to your body and relaxing your muscles.

You can also try to avoid stress with good posture. If you are unable to tame your tension on your own or you continue to experience stress symptoms, talk to your doctor about intervention strategies like therapy.

Practice these deep breathing techniques every day and see how you feel. If you feel awkward or stuck your deep breathing exercises, websites and apps like Headspace.com and silversneakers. com can help you with guided meditations or general advice to make mindfulness come more naturally to you.

-Silver Sneakers