Simple techniques to help relieve stress can be a useful addition to your mental health toolkit
Caution: Please seek medical advice before undertaking breathing exercises if you are suffering from any medical conditions such as pulmonary or cardiac problems. Know your limits.
I often start off my sessions with a breathing exercise. I also find clients slightly to mildly perplexed as to why this is done. Of course those people who have had some previous experience with yoga or meditation will understand what I am talking about and bond to the activity straight away. For others it seems like a bit of a strange request.
In this article, I explore the idea of regulation both in the body and mind using one of a variety of breathing techniques to help regulate the nervous system that may be running a little out of balance. For some that may be due to a chronic or acute mental health condition or just meeting the challenges of a busy life. Regulation involves an activity designed to alter some mental process either directly or through some physical action. In this case we are trying to moderate our stress response.
The brain is the key. And why not? The brain is our central processing unit and much of what we feel and think emanate from this highly complex structure. If you think that the brain has around 80 billion neurons and each neuron has anywhere in between 5,000 to 10,000 connections well…..do the maths!
The emotional centre of the brain is called the limbic system. The limbic system helps regulate emotional and social processing, as well as learning, motivation, and memory. It consists of structures that lie beneath the outer, wrinkly part of the brain and above the brain stem (West, 2024).
In terms of regulation of our internal state of feeling (See Previous article on Interoception) we can help to turn down our internal system to a calmer more relaxed (less excited) state.
There are many different types of breathing technique so I am just describing one. The internet is filled with resourcing on breathing and mediation. Now I am not suggesting such techniques can cure complex problems but clients often have a range of techniques that they use to deal with stress and anxiety. That includes high performance sports and military personnel who use similiar techniques to help with focus, preparation and recovery. It should be part of our toolkit.
Now, why use breathing? Well you don’t have to use breathing but think about it. It is an automated process that delivers air from the atmosphere through or cardiovascular system to each cell in our body. Obviously without it, we will die. It is the first thing our 000 workers ask, “is the person breathing?”.
I find the technique below to be easy and probably do it now 6 times a day. Only takes a few minutes and since then I have gone further in my study of these practices. But you can go as far as you want to go. Neither does it replace the requirement for a good set of health support foundations such as diet, exercise, rest and relationships but that’s probably another article.
But it’s great at giving herself a bit of a mental “power nap” and a quick reset. I do both when feeling under stress or pressure but also if an opportunity just emerges. It only takes a few minutes.
Now, like with anything else worthwhile if you want to be good at something then you have to practice. It needs to be done every day and after about 12 weeks you would have developed a habit and a very useful one at that. In the beginning it just feels weird however most clients will comment on how calming it is.
The great thing is we have control over our breathing. We can slow it down, speed it up etc. It also responds automatically by speeding up during exercise or during times of stress. Some people when under distress tend to hold their breath, breath in a shallow manner or they can breath in a rapid panicked manner.
So on with the exercise.
Focus on your breathing and getting a good steady technique. Slow, deep and steady and let your whole mind focus on the breath. Aim to achieve good diaphragmatic breathing. It’s more commonly known as a “belly” or abdominal” breath. Focussing is important. It leads to good technique through learning and helps to stop you wondering of into the problems you are having at work.
Diaphragmatic breathing has many benefits that can affect your entire body. It’s the basis for many meditation and relaxation techniques, which can lower your stress levels, lower your blood pressure, and regulate other critical bodily processes (Jewell and Hoshaw, 2023).
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Breath in with your gut. Big deep breath.
Breathe in for count of 4
Hold for count of 2
Breathe out for count of 6
Hold for count of 2
Breathe in for count of 4
Repeat several times. Keep your mind focussed.
If you want to know more about these and other tools, book in with Peter Barta and together, we can look at your life and design psychological tools around your needs and lifestyle. Don’t hesitate to Book Online with Peter Barta or give M1 Psychology a call on 07 3067 9129.
References
Mary West. Nancy Hammond MD (Medical Reviewer). The limbic system and its effect on health. Medical New Today, January 9, 2024.
Tim Jewell and Crystal Hoshaw. Danielle Hildreth, RN, CPT (Medical Reviewer). 19, 2023