According to the Women's Heart Foundation, many diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, headaches and ulcers can stem from stress. If you notice yourself feeling stressed out as you go about your daily activities, it may be a sign that you need to slow down and relax. Taking a few minutes out of your day to simply breathe and relax can help you to calm down and may even give you a new perspective in dealing with your problems. While breathing and relaxing, do not allow yourself to feel guilty about taking the time or to rush through the exercise.
Step 1
Find a quiet place, away from distractions. Lay or sit down and relax all of your muscles. Close your eyes.
Step 2
Blow all of your breath out of your lungs through your mouth. Then inhale through your nose. As you do so, count silently to four. When you get to four, stop inhaling.
Step 3
Hold your breath as you silently count to seven. If you cannot hold your breath very long, count to seven quickly.
Step 4
Exhale by blowing through your mouth, and silently count to eight. Then repeat all of the steps three times, so that you take four slow breaths.
Step 5
Lie on your back if you can and stretch out your body, from your fingers and toes to your hands and feet to your arms and legs and finally your back, chest and neck. You can do this standing up if necessary.
Step 6
Open your eyes slowly. Take it slow as you return to your daily activities.
Tips and Warnings
- If you notice yourself worrying about your stressful situation, bring your mind back to your counting. After you have done this exercise several times, you may gradually work up to doing eight breaths in one sitting. Dr. Andrew Weil suggests not exceeding eight breaths at a time.
