Diaphragmatic breathing or abdominal breathing can help to relieve your stress. You can effectively reduce your stress levels by using the belly breathing technique. It encourages body relaxation and controls the nervous system. Breathing through the diaphragm brings a wide range of benefits.
Though it might seem to be strange, most people don’t breathe properly. In normal breathing, your abdomen should expand and the belly should fall when you exhale. This is known as diaphragmatic breathing. Most people make the mistake of breathing through their shoulders or chest. But this is not the correct way. You should always use your abdomen for breathing. Note that shallow and short breaths are the main cause of stress and anxiety. However, it is never too late to learn new things. If you’re highly stressed with your work life or if any other thing is causing stress to your life, you can try out diaphragm breathing. In this article, you’ll learn the right technique for improving diaphragmatic breathing.
- Take a comfortable position and lie down on your back or you can also try this exercise without lying. In a sitting position, you should keep your back straight.
- Close your eyes to dedicate your full attention to the exercise and don’t let any other thing bother you.
- Keep one hand on your chest and the other one on your belly just below the rib cage.
- If your belly rises and goes down while inhaling or exhaling, then it is considered a good diaphragmatic breathing symptoms. However, if your chest rises but your belly remains still, then you have to practice breathing with your belly. Because that is what diaphragm breathing is all about!
- Focus on moving your belly and not your chest! Continue practicing and you’ll learn it very easily.
While performing this technique, you need to keep certain things in mind to maximize your benefits.
- Practice makes a man perfect. You must have heard this lot of times and this logic rightly applies to this breathing exercise as well. It might take some time to learn this technique but with regular practice, the process becomes easier.
- This exercise should be practiced when you are relaxed. This allows you to take deeper breaths.
- Initially, some of you might face problems while deep breathing. In that case, you can inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. While breathing in and out, you should hold your breath for some time, say 5 to 10 seconds.
- Shorter periods of deep breathing are more effective than longer sessions of deep breathing. Daily practice makes diaphragm breathing easier and it also becomes a part of your regular lifestyle.
Other techniques of stress-relieving:
By now you should now understand the importance of diaphragmatic breathing for reducing stress. However, you do not have to follow a monotonous routine for living a stress-free life. There are various other techniques that can help you!
- People having panic attacks or disorders can try out 3-part-breathing exercises for soothing their brain and nerves.
- Adding music therapy to your routine can easily boost up and fresh your mind.
- Perform deep breathing as a part of your Pilates workout.
- Guided imagery can also be added to the routine.
These are some of the best ways to relieve stress. Breathing exercises can be highly beneficial for reducing stress and anxiety. Moreover, it can help in other bodily processes like digestion, sleep, and pain management. Remember that the diaphragm breathing technique is a part of stress management. You need to combine it with other stress-relieving techniques like yoga, prayer, etc. to get the best results. Also read, The Ins and Outs of Yogic Breathing
