Do You Have This Tool In Your Stress Management Toolbox?
Did you know that 95% of all diseases are caused by or worsened by stress?! It is so wild how detrimental stress is to our bodies, which is not something many people realize. And unfortunately, in today’s society, most of us are under stress more often than we’re not.
The good news, though, is that there are so many tools available to help us control and reduce our stress. With April being Stress Awareness Month, we wanted to touch on one of those tools and provide you with a concrete example for incorporating it into your daily life.
There is one tool in particular that you ALWAYS have with you, it’s completely free, and you can use it anytime, anywhere. It’s your Breath! Controlling and focusing on your breathing has so many incredible benefits, including:
reducing stress, anxiety, grief, depression and anger
increasing your energy levels and boosting your immune system
increasing self-awareness, presence, happiness, and joy
improving sleep
releasing trauma and fear stuck in the body
helps reduce pain
releases toxins from the body
By learning deep breathing techniques, you initiate the parasympathetic response within your body, also known as the “rest and digest” system. This system helps regulate bodily functions, such as digestion, and allows the body to work the way it should. By learning to breathe deeply, you can use your breath as soon as you feel yourself under stress. It can help prevent the sympathetic nervous system (“fight or flight” mode) from fully turning on and help lower all of the stress hormones immediately.
Here’s a Breathing Technique you could try on your own:
4-8: Sit tall or lie down with a long spine. Breathe in through your nose for a count of 4, slowly allowing the air to fill your belly and lungs. Then breathe out through your nose for a count of 8, and exhale all the air entirely. Repeat this 10-15 times. Notice when you’re finished any changes in your energy. Do you feel more calm?
Another benefit of breathwork is that it starts to work immediately and doesn’t require more than a few minutes of your time. So the next time you start to feel stressed, we highly encourage you to try taking a few intentional breaths. Really pay attention to how your body feels before and after. Experiment with different techniques to see which one feels the best in your body. Here’s to a stress-free April!
Like the information you read above? This is just one small part of what we cover in our Core U program. Core U is an integrative wellness program focused on The Five Keystones of health: Nutrition, Stress Management, Movement, Lifestyle, and Community. We believe they are all interconnected and play a vital role in overall wellness. Optimal health requires harmony among all of them. This program helps clear out the noise and walks you through how to build a solid foundation of health and wellness. Visit our website page here for more information.
