- How to Breathe Deeply:
How to Breathe Deeply:
Belly breathing, also called diaphragmatic breathing or abdominal breathing, is the process of breathing deeply so that your body receives a full supply of oxygen. While shallow breathing can cause shortness of breath and anxiety, deep breathing slows the heart rate and stabilizes blood pressure.
1- Take a slow, deep breath in. Let the air completely fill your lungs, and resist the urge to exhale quickly before you ve fully inhaled. It definitely takes some practice, since most of us are in the habit of taking quicker, shallower breaths instead of long, deep ones.
2- Let your stomach expand. As you draw in a deep breath, let your stomach expand by an inch or two. The air should travel all the way to your diaphragm, causing your belly to round out as it fills. If you watch a baby sleep, you ll see that babies naturally belly-breathe; their stomachs, not their chests, rise and fall with each breath.
3- Exhale fully. Let out your breath through either your mouth or your nose. As you breath out, pull in your belly toward your spine and exhale all of the breath in your lungs. After you exhale, take in another deep breath through your nose and continue breathing deeply.
4- Try breathing deeply five times in a row. This immediately calms you down by slowing your heart rate and blood pressure, as well as distracting your mind from stressful thoughts.
5- Try breathing deeply five times in a row. This immediately calms you down by slowing your heart rate and blood pressure, as well as distracting your mind from stressful thoughts.
6- Do it anytime, anywhere. Now that you know how to breathe deeply, use the technique as an immediate stress reducer any time you re feeling uptight or worried. You can find a place to be alone, but you can just as easily take five deep breaths while sitting at your desk, riding the subway or even talking on the phone. Use it as a tool to calm yourself down whenever you need to.