Modern life is dynamic and changing and with that, the stress and anxiety problems do not leave people alone. Some of the mental health conditions are anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and they affect our physical and mental health because they change day-to-day activities, sleep, and dealing with others. That being said, there is an array of proven ways to manage stress and anxiety, and one of those options is as uncomplicated as deep breathing.
Pranayama
techniques have been used in ancient practices like yoga, meditation, and even
in Chinese medicines and now finally science has supported this by saying that
it does help in reducing stress and anxiety. It’s based on the practice of
listening to slow and deliberate or usually normal breathing, which has an
effect on the nerves and creates a calming effect. In this article, I will
explain how deep breathing works to help alleviate stress and anxiety and
provide you with exercises to try.
Science of Deep Breathing
Stress or
anxiety is a state of mind that triggers the sympathetic nervous system that
leads to the fight or Flight response. This response leads to accelerated heart
rate, raised blood pressure, and rate of breathing, and all blood flow is
shifted from the internal organs to muscles as we are ready for fight or
flight. This response has developed to help shield us from actual threats,
however it degrades our health when activated in everyday living through stress
or anxiety.
Preliminary
inspiration invigorates the parasympathetic which is associated with the rest
and digest response. The parasympathetic nervous system is an example of what
type of actions can be performed by the parasympathetic nervous system,
decreasing your heart rate, low blood pressure, less breathing, all things that
happen so the body can relax and prepare for rest. The vagal nerve possesses
the parasympathetic division of the nervous system and is relaxed when the
breathing exercises are calm. In so doing, they lever the relaxation response
that assist in decreasing stress and anxiety.
On the same
note, deep breathing has been found to have effects on brain that include the
secretion of serotonin and other neuro chemicals that create that all-natural
state of relaxation. It can lift mood, sharpen the brain, and make people feel
better.
Techniques on How to Practice
Diaphragmatic Breathing
There are a
number of ways that this breathing can be performed and each will have its own
advantages. The best way is to be persistent and to do a lot of exercises so it
is advisable to vary between the methods and see which one is the most
effective.
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing
Another name
for this deep breathing exercise is belly breathing because your diaphragm is
used here mostly. To practice, follow these steps:
a. Get comfortable now by either standing or lying on
your back with your spine as firm as possible.
b. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and take a
deep breath then place one palm on your chest and the other on your lower
abducted.
c. Breathe in through the mouth, gently holding the nose
properly, and try to expand your abdomen and not your chest. Your stomach
should expand with each breath.
d. Breathe out through your mouth and, again, do this
calmly and without force.
e. Keep doing this cycle for a few more minutes with
slow and deep inhalation.
2. 4-7-8 Breathing
Created by
Dr. Andrew Weil, this technique is a breath pattern that can be utilized in
times of stress and to send you to sleep. To practice:
a. Put your tongue at the back of the ‘roof of your
mouth’ slightly up from your upper front teeth.
b. Breathe in slowly for four seconds through your mouth
while attempting to fix your gaze on your belly button.
c. Keep your breath for about seven seconds in total.
d. Breathe out through your mouth counting to eight, and
clear your lungs.
e. Repeat continuously for some minutes or until desired
or needed stretching.
3. Alternate Nostril Breathing
As its
origin, this technique is linked with a yoga practice and it might help when
one is experiencing nervousness. To practice:
a. The author lays down some simple standing and
perching postures: Sitting comfortably; Place the right hand on the right knee.
b. Stop right nostril with the right thumb and take
a deep breath through the left nostril.
c. Pinch your right nostril with your right ring finger,
and retain the breath for a few seconds.
d. Open your right palm and slowly blow off the air
dabbing your right thumb on the tip of the septa.
e. Breathe slowly through your right nostril, then block
it and breathe out through your left nostril.
f. Keep up this pattern for a few minutes paying
attention to the cadence of the breath.
Conclusion
Pranayama is
one of the easiest ways that help a person deal with stress, and anxiety and
improve the general quality of life. If you practice these techniques in their
simplest form every day, you establish new patterns for your nervous system,
your emotions, and your mind. Furthermore, you should also remember that to
reap all the benefits from deep breathing exercises, you need to always do them
regularly, even if they’re for just a couple of minutes. Understanding and
using deep breathing techniques will help you get a handle on fearful feelings
and enable you to enjoy a stress-free life.
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