If you find yourself in a stressful situation, need to calm down or just find yourself a little short of breath, it might be time to practice some deep breathing exercises. Deep breathing helps expand your airways, bringing more oxygen into your system, which can make you more alert and lower your blood pressure.
Step 1
Sit in a comfortable chair or lie on the floor, a couch or a bed. You can also stand up if you've been sitting or lying down for an extended period of time. The most important thing is that you position yourself so your back is straight.
Step 2
Close your eyes and take a deep, slow breath in through your nose. Don't breath so deeply that it hurts your chest, but take a deeper breath than your normal breathing.
Step 3
Breathe in so that your stomach expands rather than just your chest. This ensures that you're taking as deep a breath as possible and that air is filling up your entire lungs.
Step 4
Hold the breath in for several seconds. Purse your lips slightly together as if you were going to whistle or drink out of a straw.
Step 5
Allow the air to escape slowly and out through your mouth. Don't blow air out forcefully, just let it escape naturally as you breathe out.
Step 6
Repeat several times, breathing out for a slightly longer period of time than when you breathed in. For example, do a five-second count while you breathe in. As you breathe out, count all the way to seven seconds before stopping.
