Stress is natural and an unavoidable part of life. Our body sees stress as danger and triggers a fight-or-flight mode thus increasing our heart rate and blood pressure, we breathe rapidly and our muscles tense in response to stress/ anxiety.
Stress can be short term or long term and affects our body differently. Long term stress may increase the risk of health conditions such as stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure, various gastrointestinal problems etc.
However, as uncomfortable as stress or worry feels, it is manageable. Ultimately, a healthy mind equals healthy body and vice versa. And, one of the best ways to reduce stress is exercise. Research suggests that exercise and other physical activity produce endorphins—chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers—and improve the ability to sleep, which in turn reduces stress.
Along with Physical exercise, other techniques like meditation, breathing exercises such as box breathing are proven to be very useful to manage symptoms associated with stress, anxiety and depression.
What is Box breathing?
Box breathing, also known as four-square breathing (imagine moving around the edge of a square box as you do the breathing practice) is a simple technique which can be performed anytime and anywhere and can be very effective to calm the mind and ease stress related symptoms. Studies suggest that regular, long term practice of box breathing improves focus, improves our ability to change future reactions to stress hence, is beneficial for our overall mental wellbeing.
How to practice box breathing technique?
The technique is easy and must be practiced regularly in an upright and relaxed seated posture.
- Step 1: Once all the air has been expelled out of the lungs, inhale deeply through your nose to a count of four. Remember to breathe in slowly and feel the air enter your lungs.
- Step 2: Pause/ hold your breath for a count of four. Do not tense your body and maintain a relaxed upright posture.
- Step 3: Exhale all the air out of your lungs slowly to a count of four.
- Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3. Keep doing this for 3 to 5 minutes or until you feel calm.
Practicing breathing exercises may help to improve overall lung function as well as the effectiveness of your breathing. If you’d like further information or would like to book an appointment with one of our Physiotherapists, please call 03 9716 2250.