I’m not sure what percentage of the population has this problem, but sometimes I have a problem relaxing. Between raising two kids and trying to get as much done as possible during the day, I often find myself getting a little anxious. This result is being more stressed than I should. And being frazzled is not healthy for the body. I find that breathing exercises at the beginning, middle, and end of the day really help.
I can’t remember if I started doing them myself or after I had my first yoga class, but I found that just being still and breathing deep and holding it really helped me relax. You can read other benefits online, but it slows the heart rate, helps with high blood pressure, relaxes the muscles, and increases energy levels.
Start The Day Relaxed
After waking up, I will lie in bed and take a deep breath and hold it for five seconds. I will slowly let the air out. Concentrate on filling your lungs with air and relaxing your muscles. It will get oxygen to your brain and muscles. I will do these steps four or five times or until I feel relaxed. It only takes about a minute or two to complete. While I know every minute counts in the morning, what this does is that I’m not jumping up and beginning my day stressed. I wake up relaxed, refreshed, and ready to start my day.
Make Your Drive Relaxing
I’ll also do these breathing exercises while driving. Since much of the day is running around the city for clients, I will use this time to take a break and relax. And what better time to do them than during a stressful time like driving? I will just tilt the seat back a little, lean my head back on the headrest, and do my breathing exercises. Since I’m not doing anything during this time anyways, I might as well make use of it. The good part about this is that the driving time goes faster since I’m not in rush to get to my destination.
Sleep Better At Night
At night, these exercises really help when trying to fall asleep as well. Right before I go to bed, regardless if I’m reading or watching television, I’ll slowly breath in and hold it for five seconds. I’ll slowly release it and keep doing these until I feel my body getting relaxed. If I’m having additional problems sleeping, I’ll also concentrate on relaxing every muscle in the body. I’ll start with my feet and then work my way up trying to relax every muscle in the body. This really helps with falling asleep and ensures that my night is not restless.
Concentrate on Breathing While Exercising
Breathing exercises also help when working out. When I was younger, I would just exercise and breathe without thinking about it. If I started running faster, I would just breathe faster. This is fine, but one of the reasons why you breathe harder is your body is craving oxygen and you’re trying to get air into your lungs as fast as possible. What I should have been doing is concentrating on breathing deeply; this ensures the needed amount of oxygen is getting deep into the lungs. There is no need to take all of those small breaths when deep ones will ensure you’re getting as much oxygen as possible.