Have you stopped lately just to breathe? Try it. Stop whatever you are doing and take 4 slow, deep breaths. You'll be amazed at how much more centered and calm you feel afterwards. The first time I tried it, I felt de-stressed afterwards, even though previously I wasn't even aware that I was feeling stressed.
Why do a few deep breaths make us feel so good? Well, according to WebMD, breathing exercises make your body feel the way it does when you are already relaxed. And psychologically, simply stopping what we are doing and focusing on our inner states produces awareness of how we are feeling, and with that awareness comes the ability to de-stress ourselves (hopefully).
Lately I've been relying on The Breathe App on my apple watch to tell me when to stop and breathe. It's pretty cool - it alerts you at various points of the day, then guides you through a series of deep breaths. If you don't have an apple watch, a good breathing app for your phone is Stop, Breathe, & Think. You can set the app to alert you at a specific time each day to check in and assess how you are feeling, and then it provides a short, guided meditation session and breathing timer. It's easy and quick, and will have a noticeable effect on how you feel. Give it a try!
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