One of the simplest, yet most effective stress management strategies for both mental and physical health?
Breathe on Purpose.
I designed this breathing exercise using research from elite military groups, Olympic and professional athletes and peak performance Neuropsychologists.
You will be shocked to discover how significant and impactful changing how you breathe is to your overall well-being. Shift from the breathing habits you’ve engaged in throughout your life and learn a breathing technique that shifts your entire experience of the moment. It provides more effective brain function for your best outcomes and reduces the overload of stress hormones. Breathe on Purpose is a juggernaut of healing and mental health potential.
“When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: You haven’t.”
-Thomas Edison
Let’s Dive In
Breath is the sacred essence of life; taking in, letting go, finding balance.
Every full breath is an exchange of bringing into you what is vital to your existence and then letting go and releasing that which is toxic and no longer useful to you.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
This is a great metaphor for all of life.
You must have the courage to take in new thoughts and actions, and to also let go of thoughts and actions that are no longer useful or that have become toxic.
So how do you shift your breathing technique with such intentionality? How does it become a tool for stress management?
Simply put, shift your mindset.
By placing your mental focus on the air coming in and out of you, you directly become in contact with the razor-blade edge of the present moment. It is here that peace and love reside.
But I know that many of you enjoy action items that guide you on implementing new breathing techniques into your life, so I have those for you as well.
Actionable Breathing Techniques for Stress
Management In my work, I help my clients on an individual basis, giving them customized tools and a plan to achieve clarity, peace, and mental health. I recommend everyone engage in that personalized care. However, there are a few things you can do to bring intentionality into your breathing techniques.
Breathe long, slow, and deep: Practice this powerful breathing technique, diaphragmatic breathing. Fill your belly with air, then your chest and back. Then, release it through your mouth, pursing your lips, letting the air release until it’s completely gone. Repeat. More on this in a bit!
Set a reminder on your phone to breathe: At least once a day, take five minutes to close your eyes and breathe deeply, in through your nose, out through your mouth.
Be aware of how you feel: Do you feel your heart racing? Are you sliding into melancholy? Be conscious of your emotions throughout the day. Recognize stress in your body. When you’re overwhelmed, stop what you’re doing and take several deep breaths.
Be okay with doing nothing: A huge piece of stress management is recognizing that most of us don’t give ourselves enough time to just be, to simply exist. Set aside time to relax and be present without any distractions: no books, TV, phones, or music.
Get outside: Your commute to work doesn’t count! Go, be outside, even if it’s just your backyard, to breathe in fresh air and reconnect with the life around you.
“It’s all in how you breathe. Short, shallow breathing signals to the brain and the body that a threat exists. Long, slow, deep breathing signals to the brain and body that you are safe.”
A Return to Home-Ostasis
Breathe on Purpose is a mental health strategy that helps you create an internal state of balance called homeostasis. Homeostasis is THE state in which health and wellness reside.
Your breathing techniques matter for so much more than just stress management. How you breathe affects over 2000 organs, hormones, and biochemical reactions in the body. It can rewire the brain to conduct more activity in the prefrontal cortex, where we problem-solve, regulate our emotions, predict consequences of choices, and exercise self-control.
That said, it is mission-critical that you bring your body and brain back into balance regularly, moving them back into the internal state of homeostasis.
The Steps to Breathe on Purpose
To round things out, I’m going to give you the step-by-step instructions for breathing on purpose. I teach this breathing method to my clients, and I’m giving it to you to implement in your own life.
- Place a hand on your belly and the other on your heart.
- Relax your shoulders and belly.
- Slowly breathe in, filling your belly and making your hand rise.
- Keep breathing in, filling up the chest, and making your other hand rise.
- Keep pulling in air into your upper back, making your shoulders rise.
- Leave a nice, rounded pause at the top. Hold for a moment.
- Release the breath nice and slow, clenching the throat a bit, making a sound like when you fog a mirror.
- Breathe all the air out, pushing it out with a flex of the belly.
- Leave a nice, rounded pause at the bottom. Hold.
- Start the next inhale the same as the first, then repeat.
Spend some time today in this practice. Then, contact me, and let me know how it went for you.
Want or Need Help?
If you’ve put stress management on the back burner and need professional accountability and guidance, I can help.
I have the essential tools and expertise to help you achieve your goals, no matter your starting point.
With me, you will…
Recognize your negative patterns and habits.
Find tools and resources that fit into your journey.
Create manageable, transformative habits.
Find peace, clarity, and mental health.
Interested in working with me? Schedule a discovery call.
Breathing is only a piece of the larger journey, but it is an important one. Together, we can practice these breathing techniques and explore the many tools you need to succeed.
Also, know that you do not have to go it alone. If you ever need a guide, I am here to help. Just give me a call!
