Breathe then proceed

Inhale (1,2, 3, 4, 5)

Hold it (1,2)

Exhale (1,2, 3, 4, 5)

Repeat.

Does your body feel tense while being overwhelmed at work?

Does your heart race after a heated argument with your children?

Do you sweat after being yelled at by your supervisor?

Do you sweat after being yelled at by your supervisor?

Breathe Deeply.

Deep breathing exercises will help you remain calm in stressful situations. Try it. Breathe then proceed.

Deep breathing is a major key to lowering stress in our bodies. As we breathe deeply, messages get sent to our brain that allow to settle down and relax.

When faced with stressful situations I find it helpful to tap into, as some would call, my inner being, my spirit being, or as science calls it, my vagus nerve. (The vagus nerve is the longest and most complex of our cranial nerves – it is the great communicator for our brain, heart and other vital organs.) Breathing is the most effective way to communicate with it. Breathing slowly keeps us calm while breathing rapidly excites us and can lead to us feeling stressed.

I’ve been practicing breathing exercises to help remain calm in high stress situations as well as to fall asleep. Breathing to a rhythm, remaining aware of our inhale and exhale, not only allows us to focus; it regulates our nervous system.

When we breathe deeply in tense situations it can allow our blood pressure to return to normal, our pupils shrink, our sweating decreases and our heart rate slows.

By gaining control of our breaths we gain a powerful tool we can use to rule over our initial response to stress.

Practice breathing while performing everyday tasks, make it second nature. Breathing is a muscle and just like you can ride a bike years after not riding one for years, if you practice tapping into to your vagus nerve by breathing, you can allow yourself time to think before you act in high stress situations.

In the beginning of this conversation, if that’s what I can call this (we’re family, right? Hey Rising Family!), I gave an example of a breathing exercise. Now, I want to give you another technique called “box breathing”.

Breathe in for 4 seconds.

Hold it for 4 seconds.

Breath out for 4 seconds.

Hold it for 4 seconds.

Repeat.

Try this when you finish cooking, working out or even simply vibin’ to some music. See if you notice any feeling of relief after a few short minutes.

Try this when you finish cooking, working out or even simply vibin’ to some music. See if you notice any feeling of relief after a few short minutes.

When you take a minute to feel yourself breath, your brain will be calmer and so will you be in your response.

One of my favorite quotes on breathing comes from Oprah Winfrey. She said:

“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.

Breathing is especially important to your selfcare routine.

Breathe In… Breathe Out…

I love you family.

It’s time to rise!