Work, uni or just life getting in the way and starting to stress you out? Lacking the required hours of sleep to stay full functional the next day? Here is a little trick to keep those stress levels down.
Obviously breathing is a requirement to staying alive but introducing this simple exercise to controlling your stresses can make a huge difference to your everyday life. When life feels like its going 100 kms an hour there needs to be a moment when you calm down.
Dr Andrew Weil, Doctor, physician and author from Arizona in the United States has mastered the art of dealing with stress through breathing.
Dr Weil created a technique called the 4-7-8 technique. The breathing technique’s origins are based on an ancient yogic technique called pranayama, which helps practitioners gain control over their breathing.
The 4-7-8 technique is labelled as the “natural tranquiliser for the nervous system” by Dr Andrew Weil
This simple exercise can seriously decrease stress levels. Most exercises to do with breathing help you sleep, but this one acts as both a stress reliever and helps sleep. The technique will force your mind and body to focus on regulating breathe rather than replaying worries.
Here’s what to do:
- First, let your lips part. Make a whooshing sound, exhaling completely through your mouth.
- Next, close your lips, inhaling silently through your nose as you count to four in your head.
- Then, for seven seconds, hold your breath.
- Make another whooshing exhale from your mouth for eight seconds.
Dr Weil’s suggests practicing this pattern for a full four breaths.
This simple exercise can be done anywhere, any time and will relax the body, mind and spirit to put you into deep relaxation and help you forget about the stresses of life for a period.