Managing Stress - The First Defense To Manage Stress - Breathing

[rosemary wahlberg]

The first defense against unhealthy responses to stress is not
Tylenol, Motrin... but instead deep breathing. Caution, if you suffer
from panic - anxiety and or agoraphobia, this technique is not
recommended until after the symptoms are history. This is because
breathing techniques require internal focusing which is not
recommended for anxiety sufferers. For them external relaxation
techniques are recommended - see the resource box.
In response to stress, it is normal that our breathing is immediately
affected. It becomes shallow and upper chest which is actually part of
the defense mechanism. Even that a sigh is usually a tense upper chest
unhealthy breadth.
We generally make three basic mistakes in breathing:? We're so
consumed with our appearance that we learn to hold in our stomachs
which greatly limits our breathing to the upper chest. ? Then when we
do take a deep breadth, we force our lungs to expand against our chest
putting chest muscles in spasm. This can create chest and back pain. ?
Some of us lift our shoulders to take in that deep breadth. It's
called "clavicle breathing" and it contributes to neck and headache.
Life is about stress and as we adapt to higher and higher levels of
stress from one year to the next, our normal breathing becomes tense.
Even as we sleep, we may breathe in a tense manner. The tense
breathing also starves the body of much needed oxygen, affects our
posture, and blocks our Chakras--the natural flow of energy through
our bodies.
No matter what the physical health problem--headaches, neckaches,
muscle pain... (all direct effects of stress), or disease such as
cancer, heart disease... it's important to address breathing (except
for anxiety sufferers as previously noted). The problem is that no one
makes any money from deep breathing. No drugs are required so you will
not hear an announcement on the radio, "Remember to do your stress
reduction deep breathing exercise!"
Look for times during the day when you are feeling stressed, under
pressure, in a rush, defensive, tense... It's during these times that
instead of tensing as you normally would, that you instead remember to
do your stress relief deep breathing.
And all you have to do to engage your first defense against stress is
to consciously become aware of your breathing. Then shift from your
upper chest tense breathing consciously to an abdominal breath.
How to take an abdominal breadth'the first defense against stress:?
Let your stomach and abdomen relax.? Breathe down through your chest
into your stomach.? Let your stomach expand outward.? Let your chest
expand slightly at the end of the breadth.
As you exhale:? Pull your stomach inward.? Expel all the air up
through your chest.
If you can hear yourself breathe, you are breathing too fast. Ten to
twelve breaths per minute is find. If you feel your shoulders lifting
as you inhale, it is a tense breadth. Just let your shoulders be loose
and limp as you inhale and exhale. Let your arms hang from your
shoulder like rope.
If you have the time, take a class in Yoga breathing to get in some
serious breathing. Yoga will provide many healthful benefits.
When to do your deep breathing: Make a list of times during the day
when it would be appropriate to take advantage of the deep breathing
stress management technique such as:? Whenever you're at a red light.?
As you're waiting for your computer to load a program or shut down.?
Before answering the phone or making a phone call.? As you listen to
someone conversing with you.? Before eating or drinking.? Before
entering a building or an office.? Whenever you notice yourself
feeling stressed.? Whenever you can remember to take a deep breadth.
Remember, no one makes money on deep breathing so you will not hear an
announcer on the radio reminding you to take your deep breadth
exercise to manage stress.
See the resource box for a ready made cd for Abdominal Breathing with
four different deep breathing exercises (including one to help reduce
hyperventilation).