Do you ever feel like you need a minute to just breathe? Sometimes our day-to-day lives can get so busy we forget to take some of those moments for ourselves, and the stress of the ongoing pandemic certainly doesn’t help. Even though it may feel more productive to only focus on your tasks at hand, you might be surprised to find what a short few minutes of taking time for self care may do. Even taking five minutes to do something relaxing may make a difference in your day.
Doing a breathing exercise is one way we can help our bodies to decompress. When we feel stressed, our body may have an increased heart rate, fast breathing, increased blood pressure among other things. We can use deep breathing as a way to send a message to the brain to calm down, which then sends a signal to our body to do the same. This can help to reduce our heart rate, blood pressure, etc., and bring our bodies into a more relaxed state.
Try taking five minutes in your day and check out the video Breathing Practice With Relaxing Guitar here to help you relax in the midst of your day.
Of course, sometimes breathing can cause added stress due to medical or other reasons. In that case, if you’re feeling like you need a little help to relax, check out some of Show Me Hope’s mindfulness videos here.
If you or someone you know is experiencing stress due to the pandemic, call or text Show Me Hope for 24/7 anonymous crisis counseling. We’re here to listen.
Disaster Distress Hotline: 1-800-985-5990
Tri-County Mental Health: 816-468-0400
