Box Breathing to Release Anxiety and Stress

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To start out this blog I thought I would share one of my favorite techniques to use when I am having a particularly stressful day. It is quick, easy, and extremely beneficial when you need that moment at your desk to take a quick break.

This breathing exercise is used to release tension from your body and to disengage your sympathetic nervous system response. This division of the autonomic nervous system is responsible for your fight, flight, or freeze reaction. It is engaged when under duress and periods of high stress. While necessary for our survival, prolonged periods of engagement can increase anxiety and cause unwanted prolonged physical and mental health complications. Using this breathing exercise when you become aware that you are feeling stressed or anxious, before a phone call or meeting that you anticipate being difficult or after said call/meeting can help turn off your sympathetic nervous system reaction to the stress and allow your parasympathetic nervous system, sometimes called the "rest and digest" system, to kick in.

Preparation:

Turn off your

monitors or face away from them.

Turn on white noise or soft gentle music if you so choose

Begin the Exercise:

Sit comfortably, closing your eyes if that feels comfortable to you, or taking a soft gaze in front of you if that feels more appropriate for you.

Breath in slowly through the nose for 3 counts

At the top of your inhale hold the breath for 3 counts

Exhale through the nose slowly for 3 counts

At the bottom of your exhale hold the breath for 3 counts

Repeat these steps for 3 to 5 cycles

Additional Optional Steps:

As you breath in imagine that you are drawing a line up the front side of your body starting in your lower belly and working up to the upper chest

As you hold imagine the drawing a line towards the back of your body towards your spine

As you breath out imagine drawing the line down your spine towards the lower back

As you hold imagine the line traveling forward towards your lower belly

Repeat

Notes: Some find it useful and helpful to physically draw a box with their finger on their upper thigh while completing the exercise. By focusing on your breathing, you are staying in the here and now releasing the additional stressful thoughts that have been dwelling in your mind. Additionally, the increased oxygen flow into your system will improve your clarity and help you feel calmer and more relaxed. Once you feel comfortable with this practice you can increase your count to a 6 if it feels better to you.

Once you try this method leave me a comment. Let me know how you felt afterwards! I look forward to hearing from you.