The holidays can be one of the most stressful times of the year. Financial pressures and family commitments can make everything seem a little overwhelming.
I’m personally very stressed when traveling at Christmas, so I’m always looking for relaxation techniques that can help me manage my travels. I don’t meditate every day, because I find it too time-consuming, but I do sometimes go to breathing sessions to help with anxiety.
“Breathwork can be a powerful tool for managing stress by influencing the body’s physiological and psychological responses,” says Carolyn Cowan, psychotherapist and breathwork instructor.
“Slowing down and deepening your breathing signals the body that it is safe, reduces the intensity of the stress response and lowers levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.”
Cowan has put together a three-minute exercise for this Fit and fine Try reading, which will help you stay calm during the festive period. In her own words, “It can be done anywhere—even in the bathroom, on the bus, at your desk.”
I decided to try it on a busy work morning, to see if it could help manage my stress levels.
Carolyn Cowan is a psychotherapist and breathing instructor. She is a leading doctor in London but also teaches online. She runs a series of morning breathing classes that allow anger to flow.
The work is prolonged before exhalation
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“The first thing to do before doing a breathing exercise is to stretch,” says Cowan. “Extending the body is a key part of breath work and is where the magic happens.”
He suggests that you stand and stretch your arms out to the side, take deep breaths and breathe into your stomach. You can lift your chin and open your mouth, extend your tongue.
If you’re doing breathing work in public and need a subtle movement, do a shoulder roll instead. To do this, inhale for five seconds and slowly raise your shoulders, then exhale for five seconds and lower your shoulders. You can also try rolling shoulders for another minute. Make sure you finish by inhaling and lifting both shoulders up, almost to your ears, then inhale and let it go.
Once you’ve finished stretching, find a comfortable chair, set a timer for three to five minutes (ideally with a gentle alarm sound) and follow the instructions below.
How to do the three-minute breathing exercise
- Breathe slowly through your lips for five seconds, releasing your belly.
- Hold your breath for a second.
- Breathe in quickly and gently through your nose.
- Repeat the above steps until the timer stops.
- When your timer exhales, hold your breath, and briefly tense all your muscles.
- Breathe and relax.
Other instructions
It’s important to expand your abdomen during exhalation, as Cowan says this will help expand lung capacity and reduce the diaphragm. Diaphragmatic breathing is an important part of breathing sessions like this, because it actually helps activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s relaxation response. It acts as a counterbalance to the “fight or flight” response, which is triggered by stressful situations.
Cowan also recommends lengthening the inhalation and exhalation if you feel comfortable doing so, until both are within eight or 10 seconds.
After sitting, take a few minutes to check your calm mind before returning to the excitement. And if you feel your stress level rising again later “you can do this breathing exercise as many times a day as needed,” Cowan says.
Here’s what I saw after trying the session.
1. I felt relaxed
It takes three minutes suitable The relaxation worked wonders on my stressed mind. I spent those three minutes making a conscious effort to bring my thoughts back to my body and focus on my breathing, which helped me feel relaxed.
I will definitely use this technique during the holiday season if I’m feeling tired and need to get away from the festivities.
2. It soothes my digestion
I have some problems with my digestion that are exacerbated by anxiety, so it’s not unusual for me to feel stressed. and Fight the bubble stomach.
After doing this exercise, the feeling of nausea that I carry with me most days subsided and I found myself able to concentrate.
I’m not sure if it was due to the physical act of releasing my stomach or if focusing on my breathing took my focus away from the brain. However, Bobby’s tummy was slightly bubbling once I took three minutes to breathe.
3. I felt very smart
As my day went on, I felt more deeply and connected to my body. In short, very smart. I was better able to focus on what I was doing without thinking about the million things I still had ahead of me, which usually caused my thoughts to wander.
Instead, I paid attention to what I was doing with my hands, remained aware of my breathing, and how my body felt, even after the breathing exercise was over.
Looking for more ways to relax? Read through our guide on how to meditate or stay active with some mindful walking
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