Feeling overwhelmed and stressed out? Having trouble falling asleep? These 4 breathing exercises will relieve your anxiety and stress, create calm, and help you fall asleep instantly.
Box Breathing Exercise for Stress
Box breathing exercises help you induce calm, stay focused, and relieves tension. The navy SEALs use this breathing practice in stressful situations. You can use this during times of stress and before an important event when you want to feel balanced.
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable seated position
- Breathe only through the nose
- Inhale to a count of 4
- Hold for 4
- Exhale for 4
- Hold for 4
- Repeat for 10 more rounds
- Take notice of how you feel
Box Breathing Exercise for Sleep
To help you fall asleep fast and to stimulate a parasympathetic response in the body, take longer exhales during this box breathing practice:
- Lie down in your bed
- Breathe only through the nose
- Inhale to a count of 4
- Hold for 4
- Exhale for 6
- Hold for 4
- Repeat for 10 more rounds
4-7-8 Breathing Exercise
The 4-7-8 breathing technique is one of the most popular breathing practices. It is easy, safe, and effective for deep relaxation and helps you fall asleep instantly. To start:
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable seated position
- Breathe only through the nose
- Take an inhale to a mental count of 4
- Hold the breath for a count of 7
- Slowly exhale through the mouth, narrowing the opening. Think of the shape of when you are sucking through a straw
- Repeat for 10 more rounds
Balancing Breathing Exercise
The balanced breathing practice is very simple however is the perfect breath for balancing your nervous system. This breath allows your body to perform at peak efficiency. Additionally, it will help you stay cool, calm, and collected before an important event or just simply relax. You can also take out a timer on your phone to track the seconds. To begin:
- Sit in a comfortable seated position
- Inhale for 6 seconds
- Take an exhale for 6 seconds
- Repeat for 10 more rounds
These breathing exercises are SO simple but are an amazing tool whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, or can’t fall asleep. Namaste! Have you tried these breathing exercises? Let me know in the comments below!
To learn more breathing exercises that will help you fall asleep, read the article: 3 Breathing Exercises that Will Help You Fall Asleep in Less Than 10 Minutes
