Deep Breathing for Stress Relief: What You Should Know
If you suffer from anxiety or simply find yourself feeling stressed out often, you’re not alone! Nine to five jobs have become eight to six jobs, EVERYTHING is an event, and it’s nearly impossible to find time during the day (or night) to wind down—especially if you have children, pets, or other demanding responsibilities.
One of the reasons why deep breathing for stress relief is one of my favorite ways to relax is that you can do it literally anywhere—whether you’re working at a desk, taking a shower, or walking the dog.
Plus, it’s extremely effective in relieving stress, lowering blood, pressure, and reducing the stress hormone cortisol—in addition to being totally natural and completely safe.
Let’s take a deeper dive and explore what makes deep breathing for stress relief such a great practice to add to your daily routine.
Lower Cortisol Levels
If you haven’t heard of the stress hormone cortisol, let me introduce you: it can wreak havoc on your body, causing everything from elevated heart rate, to weight gain, to headaches. It sends your senses into overdrive, which was beneficial when humans needed to run from wild animals—but now, when we are stressed nearly all the time by work, school, and other responsibilities, our bodies can’t handle it.
Deep breathing helps reduce the level of cortisol released, keeping your body at a much more healthy (and relaxed) baseline.
Lower Heart Rate
Deep breathing also lowers your heart rate, which, in some sense, “tricks” your body into relaxing. When you are stressed, your heart rate increases. Therefore, when your heart rate is up, your body assumes you are under stress. Getting your heart rate down allows your body to settle, believing you are relaxed—and therefore actually relaxing.
In addition, deep breathing supplies your body and blood with more oxygen, reducing the necessary speed at which your heart needs to pump blood to keep you alive.
Lower Blood Pressure
Lastly, deep breathing for stress relief promotes lower blood pressure. High blood pressure is often known as the “silent killer” because it causes the arteries to thicken, leading to heart attack, stroke, and more. It can even lead to an aneurysm!
Deep breathing causes the parasympathetic nervous system to activate, which causes your blood vessels to expand—reducing the amount of pressure necessary for blood to pass through.
I ensure I incorporate deep breathing into my everyday life without fail, whether I am having a busy day, slow day, or anything in between.
Driving to school or work? Deep breathe for a few minutes on your way. Taking a bathroom break? Spend a couple of minutes deep breathing in the mirror.
There are hundreds of ways to incorporate this practice into your daily life regardless of where you are or what your schedule looks like—making it one of the cheapest, most convenient, and most easily accessible ways to reduce stress.
If you enjoyed this blog, go check out some of my free wellness online offerings here. Be sure to leave me a comment down below with any questions about finding a way to make your daily routine healthier, more natural, and less stressful. I’d love to help!