Breathing exercises can reduce stress.

Breathing exercises are among the most effective relaxation techniques. They are also the simplest forms of relaxation techniques. It can help you calm down when you going through stressful periods at work or at home. As you use it more often, you will experience more of its benefits.

Breathing is an unconscious activity that we tend to take for granted most of the time. As such, most of us are usually not aware of our own breathing habits. Bad breathing habits can affects us physically and mentally. Most of the time, we practised shallow breathing and we are very used to it.

Shallow breathing is breathing from the chest, and our chest tends to expand as we breathe. This form of breathing does not reach the depths of the lungs.

Deep breathing, on the other hand, involves breathing from the abdomen. This form of breathing reaches the depths of the lungs and is a more effective form of breathing. It helps to expel more air from the lungs and hence promotes good lung function. In deep breathing,

it is the stomach and abdomen that rise and fall, not the chest or shoulders. Unfortunately, some people practise the technique of deep breathing wrongly. When they breathe in, they tend to gulp a huge amount of air and try to expand their chest as much as they can. Then, they breathe out quickly, releasing all the air in one. In order to reap the benefits of deep breathing, we must learn to do it correctly.

Deep breathing, if done slowly, helps to calm the mind and promotes relaxation. Hence, when you use breathing exercises as a relaxation technique, you need to use slow deep breathing. In a breathing exercise, you need to focus well on your breathing. Perhaps you can count your breathing as you inhale and exhale.

This will help you to concentrate and maintain slow breathing. Initially, trying to exercise deep breathing may be difficult, especially when you are not used to it. However, after some practice, you will surely be able to do it effectively.

During a breathing exercise, you can use imagery for better relaxation. As you close your eyes, perhaps you can use your imagination to visualise the place you would most like to be. Or maybe you can think of a pleasant experience or an event in your life that makes you feel good. Allow yourself to daydream a little. Try to spend a few minutes enjoying the nice feeling that comes with this image. As you stay with the feeling and image for a few minutes, you should continue to do slow breathing. When the session is over, you should feel more calm and relaxed.