Do the holidays stress you out? Or does just plain old life get you stressed?
A great recommendation I can make to lower stress is to stop all activity and just breathe, even if it’s just for a brief moment. Sounds so simple, but it’s not so easy. I consistently coach my clients on the proper breathing technique, since stress is often trapped in their bodies. In fact, most of us carry a significant amount of stress in our bodies. Many of us breathe incorrectly to begin with. We breathe from our chest and not from our diaphragm. Just breathing can alleviate our bodily stress, not to mention the emotional benefits that develop as a result of our deep breathing.
Do this simple exercise either sitting or lying comfortably to check in with your breathing and note your level of stress:
Sit or lie comfortably.
Place your hands just below your ribcage.
Gently inhale and feel your belly rising and inflating with lovely air.
Exhale and feel your belly sinking and deflating, sending all of that wonderful oxygen to all of you.
Do this exercise for 5 minutes and you will note that you can retrain your breathing. What did you notice about your breath? Was it easy? Relaxed? Erratic or labored?
For a peaceful respite from the stress of your day or holidays – breathe! You may find that just checking in with your breath during the course of the day – brings peace and calm for your body, mind, and spirit!
