Stress Relief Breathing Exercises

The stress and anxiety of everyday life is sometimes enough to make you feel like you can't breathe. In fact, anxiety and stress really do affect your breathing. When we are feeling anxiety, we tend to take shorter and shallower breaths, which sometimes can lead to hyperventilation. There are a variety of breathing exercises that can help you relieve stress. They can be done anywhere and only take a few minutes. 

Quick and Simple

1. This exercise can be done at a moment's notice, wherever you are. You can practice it sitting or lying down, whichever is comfortable for you. Breathe in slowly as you say in your mind or out loud, "I am." Then exhale slowly as you say, "relaxed." These self-affirmations will make you more confident in yourself and help you to become more relaxed.
   

   Four-Seven-Eight Breath

2. This is a breathing exercise that is most effective when you are sitting. You can start by sitting up straight with your hands resting comfortably on your knees. Focus on the feeling of your breath. Making sure to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth, keep the tip of your tongue pressed against the roof of your mouth. The pattern of this breathing technique is to inhale for four seconds, hold the breath for seven seconds and then exhale the breath for eight seconds. Make sure you draw your breath deep into your stomach and then into the rest of the lungs. Pause for a few seconds between each repetition. Repeat this process for 12 rounds and then try to build up the number of rounds over time. This is incredibly effective at balancing the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your lungs, and will leave your body and mind more relaxed.
   

   Standing Exercise

3. In a standing position, place your feet shoulder-width apart and bear your weight on your legs. You can keep your eyes focused on a spot on the ground a few feet away. Relax your shoulders and let your hands comfortably rest in front of your abdomen, cupped, with the right hand on top. Begin inhaling smoothly and naturally. As you inhale, you can raise your arms out to your sides until they are parallel with the ground. Pause for a moment and then lower your arms back down until your fingertips are touching. Rest for a few seconds, and then keeping your fingertips touching, raise your hands vertically up your chest and turn them inward as they meet your face. Continue inhaling as you raise your hands above your head as high as you can. Hold the breath for a couple of seconds. Then exhale as you extend your arms out and down and end in the same position as you started. Repeat this process for 10 to 15 minutes.