Breathing Technique

Breathing is a proven technique to help reduce stress fast and easy on the spot tool when you need to bring down your stress level. The more you practice this, the more it'll be part of your routine to destress.

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​Breathing exercises don’t have to take a lot of time out of your day. It’s about setting aside time to pay attention to your breathing. Deep breathing helps to relieve shortness of breath by preventing air from getting trapped in your lungs and helping you to breathe in fresher air. It'll help you feel more relaxed and centered.

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Deep Breathing Technique:

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• Begin with 2 to 5 minutes a day, and increase your time as the exercise becomes easier and more comfortable. 

• Practice first thing in the morning to set your day and before you bed to help relax you. You can practice throughout the day, especially in situations that are stressful to you. 

• While standing or sitting, draw your elbows back slightly to allow your chest to expand. 

• Take a deep inhalation through your nose.

• Retain your breath for a count of 5. 1.2.3.4.5

• Slowly release your breath by exhaling through your mouth twice as long. Try this a couple of times. 

• Remember, you can practice this technique anywhere at home, school, in your car or at the office. 

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Streeeeech! 

Stretching offers numerous health and fitness benefits. Our body

naturally craves a “stretch” after long periods of sitting, staying stagnant and not moving. This natural instinct is your body’s way of telling you that stretching feels great! 

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In order to gain the benefits of stretching, it’s important to stretch properly:

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• Warm up. Never stretch a cold, it can result in injury. Instead, warm up with a great stretch. This will help make your muscles more flexible and easier to stretch.

• Breathe. Sometimes we’re inclined to hold our breath when stretching, but this is counterproductive because it results in tightness and resistance. Instead, breathe into a stretch. Breathe slowly and deeply. As you exhale, you may feel yourself naturally sink a little deeper into the stretch.

• Be gentle. Never force a stretch. Instead, gently ease your way into a stretch and let your body dictate how far you can go. Flexibility will naturally increase over time.

• Be consistent. The best way to build flexibility is with a consistent stretching routine for 3 to 5 days per week. The more you practice, you the more flexible you'll become.

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Stretching Tips:

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• Relaxation: Simply, stretching feels good! It’s a great way to cool down and relax after a workout. Research has shown that stretching can lower blood pressure and improve artery function. It’s a natural stress reliever.

• Increase flexibility: Flexibility refers to the degree to which an individual muscle will lengthen. As we age, our muscles grow shorter and tighter and we become less flexible. Stretching is an effective way to maintain and increase flexibility. 

• Improve circulation: Stretching increases the blood flow to the muscles, which not only helps to nourish the muscles, but also helps to eliminate waste byproducts from muscle tissue.

• Eliminate pain: Many of us experience muscle tightness in our quadriceps, hamstrings, and hip flexors, ouch! What we may not realize is that this muscle tightness is a common cause of low back pain. A regular stretching routine can help solve this common problem.

Meditate

Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit your emotional well-being and your overall health. Meditation enhances attention, emotional awareness, and mental calmness.

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Reasons why meditation is a great practice to put in place:

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• Reduced stress: Meditation decreases stress. It can also improve symptoms of stress-related conditions, including anxiety and depression.

• Improved memory: Better focus through regular meditation may increase memory and mental clarity. 

• Increased attention: Meditation helps with your attention span, allowing you to stay focused longer.

• Enhanced willpower: Meditation develops the mental discipline needed to stay focused and remain calm.

• Better sleep: Meditation can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and improve the quality of your sleep.

• Less pain: Meditation can reduce pain and boost emotional regulation. Together with medical care, this may help treat chronic pain.

• Less anxiety: Regular meditation can help with mental health issues like social anxiety, fears and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

• Less depression: Meditation can help reduce the occurrence of depression and help give you a sense of calmness. 

• Greater compassion: Meditation can help you better understand yourself, increase positive feelings, and create a sense of peace.

Connecting with Nature

Spending time in nature is good for us for a lot of reasons. “fresh air and exercise” has long been recommended as a way to feel better, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Research shows that the quality of our relationship with nature is part of the reason for its positive impact on our overall wellbeing. 

Connectedness refers to the way we relate to nature and experience it. A strong connection with nature means feeling a close relationship or an emotional attachment to our natural surroundings. 

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There are ways that we can develop our connectedness with nature. Do things that involves all of your five senses, this can help to develop our connection with the natural world. These experiences can help us feel positive emotions such as appreciation, gratitude, and calmness. Appreciating the beauty that nature has to offer. 

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We might notice the beauty of nature by listening intently to birds signing, smelling flowers, hearing as the leaves brush against each other when the wind blows. If you can't go out to nature, bring it to you! I love to garden and feel the soil between my fingers while planting flower bulbs or potting a plant.