Learning to breathe properly can transform your life. This may be an odd statement considering that we all naturally breathe in and out without thinking, but there are breathing techniques that can help you sleep better and easier, but also tackle anxiety and panic attacks. The way we breathe can also impact how well we can exercise, too. But how can we harness the power of breath so that it can make living much easier and more comfortable? Read on for the reasons why proper breathing techniques can help counter anxiety, get us a better night’s sleep, and enhance our exercise routines.
How Breathing Can Help Tackle Anxiety
Anxiety can make it difficult for us to breathe, and when we find it hard to breathe, we can become more stressed and anxious. This vicious cycle can be hard to break but learning proper breathing techniques and how to utilize our diaphragm can make battling anxiety a lot easier and more effective.
The best breathing exercises include:
— Inhale slowly (and deeply) through your nose. Make the most out of this by ensuring your shoulders are relaxed and that you are sitting straight. While inhaling slowly and deeply, your abdomen will hopefully expand, helping your chest rise a little.
— Exhale slowly through your mouth. With the air you have inhaled, you should slowly dispel it through your mouth. Make sure you keep your mouth and jaw relaxed so that you do not tense up. Keep your lips pursed ever so slightly and keep the rhythm the same.
— Repeat. You will need to repeat this process for several minutes if you wish to make the most out of it. Remember that you may not feel the effects straight away.
Breathing exercises can be used as often as needed and help counter anxiety attacks that may be bubbling in the background. It can take time before it makes you feel better, and if the process starts to make you anxious, then stop for now and return to the techniques when you are feeling better.
How Breathing Can Help Us Sleep Better
Sleeping with our mouths closed can stop snoring and improve oral health. Troubles with breathing when sleeping can cause discomfort and a poor night’s sleep that can impact a person’s mental and physical wellbeing. One way to help get a good night’s sleep is by investing in mouth tape. Mouth tape is, quite simply, a piece of tape that you put across your mouth. It is painless and easy to apply and remove. It also helps stop snoring and can reduce fatigue that is felt throughout the day. If you haven’t heard about mouth tape before, you can have your mouth taping questions answered by SomniFix.
How Breathing Can Enhance our Exercising Sessions
Have you ever run or swam and found it difficult to breathe after a while? Perhaps your mouth becomes dry and there is a pain at the back of your throat? Learning how to breathe properly when exercising can improve your performance but also make the sport much more enjoyable. It is said that the best way to boost your sporting performance and improve your breathing technique is by inhaling and exhaling through your mouth and nose combined. This can help your breathing stay steady.
Harnessing the power of breath can improve your life. Not only can you counter anxiety and improve your sporting performance, but you can get a better night’s sleep. All this can make your life much more comfortable and enjoyable. However, be sure to learn the best techniques for you, and if you need help, speak to a professional who can offer proper tips and tricks.
No doubt about it, life can—and undoubtedly will—have its challenges. For a variety of reasons—some self-imposed, some not—there are bound to be times in your life when you experience some fairly undesirable situations.
In those circumstances, you may experience fear, sadness, disappointment, or anger. But believe it or not, underneath it all, there will also be . . . joy. Not joy in the typical sense of feeling elated in the moment, but the joy of your inner divine spirit. It's the kind of joy that embraces all of life and living . . . not just the peaceful parts.
Consider this: When you go to an amusement park, don’t you choose to go on the scary rides as well as the more pleasant ones? Why is that? Isn’t it because you feel fundamentally safe? And isn’t it the combination of those contrasting experiences that brings you pleasure—even joy?
So it is with your divine spirit. To your spirit, life is one big amusement park. And since your spirit is eternal and indestructible, it always feels safe enough to enjoy (to have joy in) the experience of life as a whole.
Are you experiencing some kind of stress or distress in your life right now? Then remember to take a moment to affirm who you truly are at the core of your being. In prayer and meditation, consciously connect with your inner divine essence—your eternal spirit—and get in touch with the unending joy that resides there. It’s the joy of just being alive and in the world. And it’s a joy that is there no matter what kind of ride you happen to be on.
