Your ultimate stress-relief tool: Breath
Ever feel like you just need a magic reset button in life?
Wouldn’t it be great to have a big red button you could push any time you felt too overwhelmed or stressed out? This magic button would shut off all the pressures of the world for a few minutes so you could reset and restore your mind, body and spirit. It would be a pretty amazing thing for most of us…just press it and reset. Whew!
Well, we don’t have magical red reset buttons floating around our homes and offices, but you DO have something even better; a super powerful reset tool built right into your own body! And you can use it any time you need relief from stress. What is it? Your breath.
Simple breathing exercises are one of the most amazing tools we have to release stress and restore balance.
There are many different breathing exercises out there that offer effective ways to release or reduce stress in the moment, right when you notice it occurring. The wonderful thing about using breath-work as a stress-relief tool is that it’s 100% portable. All you need are your own lungs and a willingness to take a pause for 2 minutes. This means you don’t have to let stress pile up. You can choose to deal with it right away, release it and then get back to your life.
No matter where you are or what you’re doing, breath work gives you the power to take control of your stress and release it, even when you’re busy.
This week, we’re sharing two quick and simple breathing exercises that you can use to release stress, de-escalate stressful situations and get your self back in balance. While there are TONS of awesome breath-work exercises and meditations out there, these are two of our favorites.
The first exercise, called “Twenty-One Breaths,” provides a chance for a short gratitude reflection as well as stress release (still only three minutes!) The second, called “Take Ten,” is a really simple reset exercise for those moments when you just need to de-escalate stress quickly. Keep reading below to learn both strategies!
Twenty-One Breaths Reset:
A 3-minute meditation for returning to center
(You can either read this meditation and use it from memory, or you can easily record yourself reading it aloud and keep the recording on your favorite device to replay any time you need it. I personally love having it recorded on my phone in my own voice. That way, I’m not tempted to rush through it.)
Speak/Listen:
“This is my invitation to reset and return to center. To let my body and mind release the overwhelm of stress, worry and fear. To let my spirit find refuge in the simple awareness of my own breath.”
Pause and reflect:
5 natural breaths
Speak/Listen:
“As I bring awareness to my breath, I just let it rise and fall naturally. I feel the rhythm of my breath as it fills and then leaves my body.”
Pause and reflect:
5 natural breaths
Speak/Listen:
“Now I embrace 21 breaths of release. With each breath, I choose to let go of the pressures and stress of the world. I choose to give my attention to the natural rhythm of my own breath instead, leaving everything else behind. My breath is my refuge and my center of strength.”
Count 21 breaths (each inhale+exhale equals one breath)
(If your mind wanders or gets distracted by stress during your meditation, it’s no problem. Just come back to your breath and refocus your attention there. Each time you notice the distraction or stressor, you get the opportunity to release it and then return to your breath.)
Speak/Listen:
“What a gift it is to pause and release stress. May I be restored, peaceful and present for the rest of this day.”
*End meditation*
As you wrap up your meditation, take a little time to appreciate the awesome space of stress release and restoration you’ve just created to let your body, mind and spirit recharge. This is a great skill to cultivate as you work to reduce stress in your life overall. Give yourself gratitude for dealing with stress proactively and making this space of restoration possible.
Take Ten Reset:
A quick time-out to de-escalate stress in the moment
This breath exercise is as simple as it gets, but REALLY effective for reducing stress in the moment. It’s a perfect strategy for the office, the airport or in a car full of screaming kiddos. Many couples also use it to de-escalate frustration during an argument. All you need is one minute to acknowledge your elevated stress levels, and then take a quick time-out to reset.
Take Ten:
Take ten full, steady breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth, breathing deeply from your belly. With each breath, think about actively releasing tension from your mind and your body. Breathe the stress out with each exhale. Focus on physically releasing tension and stress from your muscles as you exhale; allowing your neck, shoulders, eyes and fingers to relax. You can close your eyes if you like, or leave them open, whatever feels best to you.
*End exercise*
For most people, this takes less than a minute, and can be done literally anywhere, even at your work desk!
