How To Manage Stress & Anxiety Using Your Breath
Is it true that the way you breathe impacts your stress and anxiety?
In short, yes! Let me explain…
The lungs are covered with nerves extending to both sections of the nervous system.
Breathing activates different sections of the nervous system, causing you to feel chilled or stressed & anxious, depending upon which section of the nervous system is activated.
The parasympathetic nervous system creates a feeling of rest & relaxation whereas the sympathethic nervous system gets the body ready for action.
If you are feeling stressed, anxious and overwhelmed, your sympathetic nervous system has been activated.
The nerves for the sympathetic nervous system are spread out across the top of the lungs, so when you take short breaths, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, turning you on high alert, activating adrenaline and preparing you for action.
Whilst this is great if you want to sharpen your focus, or respond to a threatening situation, it is unhelpful if you want to feel calm or switch off.
One way to manage stress and anxiety is to take long, slow deep breaths. This sends the breath down to the bottom of the lungs activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
By breathing slow and deep, with longer exhales, sends molecules of breath to the lower part of the lungs, switching on the parasympathetic nerves, slowing the heart rate down and allowing you to relax.
If you’re feeling stressed and would like a quick way to relax, breathing in and out of your nose… breath in for 4 and out for 6.
Repeat this 6 times and allow yourself to unwind.
