Have you heard of this breathing technique - the physiological sigh? If you haven't heard about it yet, there's likelyhood that you have actually done this type of breathing subconciously. It is a very simple method of breathing that you can do to lower anxiety and stress. The best part about this nervous system regulating technique is that you don't have to practice it consistently or daily, and you can do this WHILE feeling stress or anxiety in the current moment.
To do this exercise you will take one long inhale through the nose, followed by another quick inhale through the nose, and then exhale all your air out through your mouth. I like to think about expanding the belly with the first inhale, and with the second inhale expanding the chest. You only need to do this 1-3 times, and this should slow the heart rate down, and allow you to drop into a more parasympathetic, calm state.
Fun fact: the physiological sigh was discovered in the 1930's when people would spontaneously go into this type of breathing while in claustrophobic environments to help calm them.
So next time you feel yourself in an anxious or stressed state, give this breathing exercise a try and see how you feel afterwards!
I appreciate you reading my first blog post, follow along for more of this in the near future :)
Talk soon,
Jolene