A Simple and Effective Way to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

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Are you breathing?  Such a simple concept!  Thank goodness we don’t even have to think about it.  But, really, are you remembering to breathe in a way that can decrease anxiety and take your stress from a level 10 down to a 5, or possibly even to normal.

Deep breathing is the body’s natural healing system.  This is our innate ability given to us to bring the sympathetic nervous system (charged and ready) back to parasympathetic (at ease and calm).  The goal is to live in a place where we are parasympathetic dominant.  The stressors that happen can drive us into action, taking us into sympathetic.  Which is healthy and normal!  But, we need to let our bodies know we are safe and it’s okay to relax.  The quickest, easiest, and effective way to do this is by simply deep breathing. 

The health benefits of deep breathing are numerous! 

  • Better regulate your body’s reaction to stress and fatigue

  • Lower your blood pressure

  • Reduce depression

  • Improve sleep

  • Better manage chronic pain

If you want to learn more, I recommend reading this article: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/proper-breathing-brings-better-health/

What gets in your way of remembering to breathe?  Don’t wait until you find yourself in a stressful situation.  You can start today by taking 1-2 minutes for yourself and learning to practice this daily.  This article does a great job explaining how to get started: https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-reduce-stress-by-deep-breathing-2797585

This simple practice changed my life and I believe it can change yours as well.