Breathing Exercise for Stressful Times

One way to manage high stress levels is to learn to perform
breathing exercises. When you start to feel stress, you can engage in breathing
exercises to help calm yourself down. This is a great stress-relieving method
because anyone can do it at any time. It is particularly useful for people
recovering from addiction because it does not involve the use of any other
substances. It is a safe practice that has many benefits—reducing stress,
introducing calmness, along with other benefits.

Deep Breathing to Relieve Stress

Normally when we breathe, we take in short breaths and
inhale and exhale without even thinking about it. Taking deeper breaths and
focusing on what you are doing as you breathe can help you calm down and
relieve your stress.

To do this, simply breathe in deeply through your nose
paying attention to your body as you do so. Then, breathe out of your nose
slowly, and picture yourself releasing stress as the air leaves your body. Do
this several times until you start to feel less stressed out.

How to Focus on Breathing

For some people, it may be difficult to get themselves to
focus on their breathing. These tips can help. Start by closing your eyes and
sit in a comfortable position. Try to clear your mind and focus only on
breathing in and out. You can also try to picture yourself breathing in
calmness and breathing out tension and stress. Another technique is to slowly
count to five as you breathe in through your nose, and slowly count to five
again as you exhale.

Using breathing exercises to manage your stress is a simple
way to reduce your stress levels. For those recovering from addiction, this is
a safe and easy method for lessening the stress they are dealing with.

Written by

Paul Gardner

Paul Gardner is Co-founder and Managing Director of Tharros House, and interfaces with clients and families on a daily basis. Read more →