4 Breathing exercises to evaporate Stress in 10 minutes or less

Today work-induced anxiety as well as health problems and depression caused by higher levels of job stress have resulted in increasing rates of long-term illness and absence from work. Mental health disorder, respiratory system infection, sinusitis and common cold are some among the most common health issues working professionals face with the closed ventilation of their offices combined with poor air conditioning. You'll notice that during times of stress, breath gets too shallow and you tend to sigh or yawn frequently. What’s the escape hatch? Read on to find out!

Take a handful of deep breaths, and let them out slowly. Inhale, and gently, exhale! You will begin to notice a difference in how you feel already!  Your breath is a dynamic tool to ease stress and make you feel less anxious. Some simple breathing exercises can make a big difference if you make them part of your regular routine at work.

Let’s look at it in detail -

The first step is learning to breathe the right way. You may not realise it, but you're probably breathing all wrong. If you are super frazzled, you're definitely breathing wrong. That can make you feel short of breath, anxious and sap your energy. Those are signs your body is trying to ask for more oxygen. Breathing exercises can help you to take full breaths that fosters full oxygen exchange for outgoing carbon dioxide, and can stabilise the heartbeat and blood pressure.

Before you get started, keep these useful tips in mind:

·     Choose a designated place to do your breathing exercise. Make yourself comfortable. You can sit on a chair with your shoulders, head, and neck supported against the back of the chair and your eyes closed

·     Don't force it or try too hard. This can make you feel more tensed. At the same time, don’t be too passive. The key to evoking the relaxation response lies in shifting your focus from stressors to deeper, calmer rhythms, and having a focal point is desirable

·     Try to do it once or twice a day, preferably at the same time, in order to enhance the sense of ritual and establish a habit

·     Wear comfortable clothes

·     You may want to try several different relaxation techniques to see which one works best for you in case your favourite approach fails to engage you or you want some variety

1.  Belly Breathing

This method is helpful for relieving anxiety. By expanding your belly and breathing slowly, you facilitate deeper breaths which ensure you're not just breathing into the top of your lungs. Here’s how you can do it:

·     Sit comfortably on the floor or on a chair and rest one hand on your belly at your navel

·     Breathe in slowly through your nose, and let your chest and lower abdomen rise fully as you fill your lungs. As you inhale, breathe down deep and push your belly out as much as you can so you feel your hand rising with your breath

·     Breathe out through your nose, and allow your belly to relax. Feel your belly lower

·     Repeat for 5 breaths. Feel your belly as it rises and falls with your breath

Throughout the practice, try to concentrate on your breathing pattern and not pay heed to any secondary thoughts that might arise in your mind. It's interesting to notice just how many random thoughts can pop up in the span of a single breath. It's important not to chastise yourself for getting caught up in your thoughts; just come back to your regular rhythm and start counting again.

2.  Focused Breathing

Balance can do a body good, beginning with deep and focused breathing. While you breathe deeply, imagine a pleasant, positive picture in your mind to replace any negative thought and a word or phrase to help you feel more relaxed.

·     Breathe in, and as you do that, imagine the air getting filled with a sense of peace and calm. Try to feel it seeping throughout your body

·     Breathe out, and while you're doing that, imagine that the air takes you off from stress and tension

·     Now assign a word or phrase with your breath. As you breathe in, slowly repeat in your mind, "I breathe in peace and solitude"

·     Hold it on for a few seconds and as you breathe out, say in your mind, "I breathe out stress and tension"

·     Continue for 10 to 20 minutes

This technique helps you achieve mindfulness and puts you in the place you want to be, rather than letting your mind go to the internal dialogue that can trigger stress. Regular practice also slows down your heart rate and relaxes you, so it's helpful in stress-inducing situations.

3. Alternate Nostril Breathing

Commonly called, Nadi Shodhana, this method is said to alleviate stress, enhance focus, and restore balance to the mind and body. Just as the name suggests, you alternate your inhalations and exhalations through each nostril. You'll inhale and exhale through one nostril for one full breath, while closing the other nostril; then switch to the other side. Here's how it works:

·     Sit up straight in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and breathe at normal pace. Close your right nostril with your right thumb and gently breathe in through your left nostril

·     Slowly inhale and at the end of inhale, exhale through the right nostril while using the ring finger of the right hand to gently close the left nostril and simultaneously releasing the right nostril

·     Pause gently after you exhale

·     Now keeping the left nostril closed, inhale once again through the right nostril, allowing the breath to make its way right through your body

·     Exhale through the left nostril while closing off the right nostril with your thumb

·     This completes one cycle. Follow this pattern for 5-10 cycles

Over time, you'll be able to increase how long you're able to breathe in and out at a time. Once you feel comfortable with breaths that last five counts, increase how long you breathe in and breathe out.

4. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

In this commonly practiced technique, you breathe in as you tense a muscle group and gradually breathe out as you release it. This helps you relax physically and mentally.

·     Sit comfortably on the floor and take a few deep breaths to relax

·     Breathe in. Tense your feet muscles

·     Breathe out. Release the tension in your feet

·     Inhale. Tense the muscles of your calves

·     Exhale. Release the tension in your calves

·     Work your way up through your body, while relaxing for 10-20 seconds before you work on the next muscle group. Tense each muscle group including your legs, belly, chest, fingers, arms, shoulders, neck, and face

Progressive muscle relaxation helps you become more aware of your muscles, how they respond with tension, and how best you can relax them. It may feel a bit daunting at first, ultimately you will gain a skill that will probably become a very important part of managing your anxiety in your daily life.

These simple breathing exercises and relaxation techniques can help soothe your body and mind, and help you in maintaining a proper work-life balance. Of all the different remedies to tackle workplace stress, breathing techniques are some of the easiest. They're free, accessible at any time, elevate your heart rate, drive lifestyle change and help achieve measurable and long-lasting improvement, without any additional supplies. Listen to your body and only do these exercises to the extent they feel comfortable.

Happy Breathing!

SimpliFit is a new-age corporate happiness service helping create a healthy and happy workplace. Its services range from Wellness & Fitness, Sports to Employee engagement and gamified business simulations. SimpliFit works with 200+ corporates PAN India being their happiness partner in reducing workplace stress, inducing fun-filled work culture, increasing productivity and creating workplace experiences.