You’ve Got 2 Minutes: Recharge Your Mind with Your Lungs
Photo: garoto_mm
Stress kills. A lot of us are walking around stressed out, and we don’t even know it. Most of us don’t have to hunt and gather any more, or constantly watch for predators higher on the food chain. But in this age of information and debt, our brains are getting their fair share of constant stress all the time, and it ads up. Stress is one of those things that your brain starts, and you body responds to, that can quickly turn into a vicious circle. Break that circle with a simple breathing exercise.
Diaphragmatic breathing is a quick, quiet stress buster that requires no equipment and almost no time. You can do it in a cubicle or bathroom and it only takes seconds. Place your hands on the bottom of your rib cage with your fingertips barely touching. Breath in slowly and deeply, so that your fingertips are forced apart and then exhale. Repeat as necessary. For those of you in need of a bit more structure, ten repetitions is a good place to start.
This works, because when your head gets stressed your body has an anatomical response in many ways. One of the most common is that your breathing shallows and you may not even notice. This is a no-no because it deprives your brain of oxygen and makes your muscles involuntarily tense. Forcing your fingers apart with your diaphragm makes those muscles in your core to stretch out and relax. It also dumps oxygenated blood into your blood stream which goes straight to those same tensed muscles and to your brain.
Related reading:
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10 Ways Stress is Conspiring to Kill You and One Fast Way to Stop It
Online: Military Field Guide Chapter 8 – Psychological First Aid
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