6 Breathing Tips To DeStress You

Breathe and DeStress

Got stress? Overscheduling, relationship struggles and other stressors invade our lives on a daily basis, making it easy to feel overwhelmed and out of control. Running at top speed with our minds always three steps ahead, we miss out on much of the joy of being fully present and alive. But it is possible to get off this merry-go-round of distraction and reaction, and to regain a sense of center, purpose and meaning.

Stress is clearly costing us time, money and energy through proper breathing, we can begin break down the toll that stress takes on our bodies and find a sense of balance and revitalization. Take several moments out of your day to just take a deep breathe. While you're driving or standing in line. Or just before the meeting and let's see if you experience a difference. 

Breathing Tips 

• Exhale completely to relax the body and empty your lungs of air. Place your hands on your abdomen.
• Begin to inhale — and then exhale completely. Feel the depth of each inhalation.
• As you continue to inhale and exhale, whether you are sitting or standing, let your body become more symmetrical and aligned; keep your feet on the ground and your upper body erect, as if someone is suspending you from a string through the top of your head. Visualize gravity flowing through you, leaving you feeling weightless yet grounded.
• Focus on the breath and how it happens without your conscious energy. Inhale through your nose. Exhale through your nose or mouth. Notice how the inhalation expands the belly and the exhalation brings it in toward the spine.
• Give breathing your full attention. You might notice your breath getting slower, deeper, quieter and more regular.
• Draw your attention to the present moment. Witness internal and external sensations and thoughts without getting plugged into them. Your choices and thoughts will become more purposeful, open-minded and creative.

With that I wish you the very best today. 

Nancy

mcshane.massagetherapy.com
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3 Major Effects of Long-Term Stress

A little stress every now and then is not something to be concerned about. Ongoing, chronic stress, however, can cause or exacerbate many serious health problems. I am just going to point out some major ones today. 

1.  Digestive system

Under stress, your liver produces extra blood sugar (glucose) to give you a boost of energy. If you’re under chronic stress, your body may not be able to keep up with this extra glucose surge. Chronic stress may increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Heartburn Pain

The rush of hormones, rapid breathing, and increased heart rate can also upset your digestive system. You’re more likely to have heartburn or acid reflux thanks to an increase in stomach acid. Stress doesn’t cause ulcers (a bacterium called H. pylori often does), but it can increase your risk for them and cause existing ulcers to act up.

Stress can also affect the way food moves through your body, leading to diarrhea or constipation. You might also experience nausea, vomiting, or a stomachache.

All of these sound like a good time - NOT. 

2.  Muscular system

Your muscles tense up to protect themselves from injury when you’re stressed. They tend to release again once you relax, but if you’re constantly under stress, your muscles may not get the chance to relax. Tight muscles cause headaches, back and shoulder pain, and body aches. Over time, this can set off an unhealthy cycle as you stop exercising and turn to pain medication for relief. That's not good.

She looks stressed.

3.  Respiratory and cardiovascular systems

Stress hormones affect your respiratory and cardiovascular systems. During the stress response, you breathe faster in an effort to quickly distribute oxygen-rich blood to your body. If you already have a breathing problem like asthma or emphysema, stress can make it even harder to breathe.

Under stress, your heart also pumps faster. Stress hormones cause your blood vessels to constrict and divert more oxygen to your muscles so you’ll have more strength to take action. But this also raises your blood pressure.

As a result, frequent or chronic stress will make your heart work too hard for too long. When your blood pressure rises, so do your risks for having a stroke or heart attack. Oh NO.