U4CW - Breathing Techniques

Breathing Techniques

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Focusing on your breathing is a great way to control stress and improve your mental health. Try these techniques from copingforkids.com.

    

 

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Give it a try! Use a paced breathing technique every day for a week.

4-7-8 breathing technique by Dr. Weil https://youtu.be/gz4G31LGyog

 

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Mental Health Benefits of Deep Breathing

We all breathe AND we can use breath to enhance our mental health. There are significant physical and mental health benefits to intentional deep breathing exercises. 

Benefits include:

  1. Relieves stress
  2. Reduces body tension
  3. Helps you be mindful
  4. Improves memory
  5. Boosts cognition
  6. Promotes good sleep
  7. Reduces pain levels
  8. Enhances ability to learn
  9. Reduces anxiety
  10. Reduces depression
  11. Improves self-image

You can choose the breathing exercise that works best for you – and several have research of improved wellbeing with regular use.

Here are a few breathing strategies (visuals above):

  • Paced breathing
    • lazy 8 breathing, square breathing, triangle breathing or star breathing.
    • hand breathing (trace hand as you breath)
    • 4-7-8 breathing – or other counting breathing
  • Belly Breathing – breathe in nose (as if smelling hot cocoa), wait, breathe out slowly (as if blowing off hot cocoa)
  • Visualization breathing – such as inflating a balloon

From https://www.calmsage.com/health-benefits-of-deep-breathing/ and https://www.livestrong.com/article/13727126-breathing-exercises-for-stress/