There’s no question that our world has been fighting major bouts of anxiety since the pandemic started. Our nervous systems are heightened and our emotions are exhausted. This flood of negative emotions can also show up in our bodies as physical aches and pains. Our nervous system influences our digestive system, heart rate, breathing, and other physical functions of the body. To combat this surge of anxious thoughts and emotions, our society is becoming more creative when attempting to calm ourselves down.
People are working from home and trying more holistic approaches to healing, such as breathing exercises. There are a variety of breathing exercises that help people experience anxiety relief. Many of them are free to do by yourself at home. If you’re experiencing a major influx of emotions, controlling your breath can recenter your being and make you feel more grounded. Your breath affects your heart rate. By practicing different breathing patterns, you can relax your physical body and feel at ease. Give back to yourself through self-care practices like breathing exercises.
Somato Respiratory Integration (SRI)
Somato Respiratory Integration calms down your system by channeling the natural energy of your body. Also known as SRI, this example of a breathing exercise involves several different breathing patterns. Typically, you will place your hands on certain parts of your body as you perform the breathing exercises. This helps you tap into the energy in your body. Have you ever felt disconnected from an area of your body? It’s easy when getting lost in the hustle of work-life to forget about our bodies. Somato Respiratory Integration helps bring certain parts of your body back online.
SRI increases your awareness of your body. It helps bridge the gap that may be lingering between your mind and body. Certain SRI breathing exercises are relaxing and slow. Others are more rigorous and fast-paced. This breathing exercise helps to calm down anxiety and reminds you that you are in your body. If you ever feel disconnected from areas of your body or soul, this breathing exercise can help! You can perform this exercise with a group or alone at home.
Other Ways to Calm Your Body at Home Today Using Deep Breathing
Diaphragmatic Breathing or Belly Breathing
- Place one hand on your chest and the other hand on your belly
- Inhale deeply through your nose, feeling your belly rise as you do so
- Hold your breath for a few seconds
- Exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling your belly fall as you do so.
Repeat this cycle for several minutes taking very long/slow deep breaths
Box Breathing
- Take a deep breath in for four seconds
- Hold your breath for four seconds
- Exhale for four seconds
- Pause for four seconds (no air in lungs)
- Repeat steps one through four for as long as you like
Alternate Nostril Breathing
- Close your right nostril with your thumb
- Inhale deeply through your left nostril
- Switch the position of your thumb, exhale through your right nostril
- Close your left nostril with your thumb
- inhale deeply through your right nostril
- Switch the position of your thumb, exhale through your left nostril.
- Repeat steps two through five for a few minutes.
Mindful Breathing
You don’t always need to follow an exercise, mindful breathing can also be a form a good deep breathing technique. When you are feeling overwhelmed, take a few minutes to sit in silence and focus on your breath. How does the fresh air feel going in and out of your nose? How does the air feel as it enters and leaves your lungs? What do you hear around you?
Try this Deep breathing technique today
Go ahead, find a quiet area in your house. Now close your eyes take a deep breath, feel the fresh air flow through your nose and into your lungs, now slowly exhale back out through your nose. Feel your body relax with every exhale as your stress is washed away. Repeat this a few times, until you feel your body and mind begin to calm down.
Tips to Make your Breathing Exercises More Impactful
Create the Right Setting
Now that we’ve covered an example of a breathing exercise, how can you can the most of your session? If you are performing the breathing exercise at home, make sure that you create the right setting for it. For those that have loud neighbors or live on a busy street, try finding a quiet space in your home where you can relax. You can put headphones in to add background music or noise to your experience. This can help if you have trouble focusing when performing breathing exercises.
Make sure that you can sit or lay down in a comfortable position. Laying out a yoga mat or towel can provide comfort for your breathing exercise session. It also helps create a certain ‘space’ that you can feel count on when you need to feel support and safety. Creating a comfortable setting adds to your experience. You can go deeper within yourself during your breathing exercises when you can focus and feel safe.
Consistency is Key
Similar to going to the gym, if you only go once, do you expect huge results? Like many wellness practices, you can get more out of breathing exercises when you do them on a consistent basis. The first time usually feels awkward. Half the time, you’re distracted by trying to find the right positioning or focusing on the time rather than the practice. Consistency, with most things in life, allows you to go deeper and get more out of it.
It’s important to note, if you are experiencing heightened anxiety right now, breathing techniques can help you experience relief. However, one session typically won’t help you work through whatever underlying emotional trauma you are encountering. Healing is a journey and marathon, not a sprint. You must make an effort every day to heal from your past. As difficult as it may feel, breathing exercises can be a key component of your healing journey. You can calm down your nervous system and experience less anxiety throughout your day. Over time, this can make a huge difference in your happiness and quality of life.
Make Self-Care a Priority
Life is meant to be enjoyed. If you’re experiencing bouts of anxiety or depression, know that you are supported. The universe is here to provide you with what you need. We are all human and feeling happy every day is not easy. Prioritize self-care practices, like breathing exercises, to help you get more out of life. Optimize how you feel and enjoy each day as you deserve. You can start a breathing exercise routine at home. The only thing that is required is you.
Wrap Up
Thanks for reading! I hope you found this helpful and that you will consider adding breathing exercises to your self-care routine. When we take the time to focus on our breath, even for just a few minutes, it can help us to calm down and center ourselves, improving our mental health in the process. So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed, try some deep breathing! If you have any questions or want more information, please leave me a comment below! I’m happy to help in whatever way I can. 🙂 Peaceful breathings, everyone!