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Picture this: You’re sitting at your desk, tackling mountains of paperwork and crunching numbers on Excel like a keyboard wizard. Just when you thought you had it all under control, bam! You’re summoned to a meeting and bombarded with even more projects. Your desk is now drowning in a sea of paperwork, and you find yourself juggling tasks like a stressed-out circus performer. Deadlines loom ominously, and stress levels skyrocket. It’s like being trapped in a never-ending desk nightmare. Yikes! But fear not, for there is a simple solution to vanquish stress in this chaotic scenario: Deep Breathing!

Deep breathing is the secret weapon you’ve been searching for, and it doesn’t require any fancy equipment or a specific time and place. It’s a stress-busting technique that works wonders! When you take a moment to breathe deeply, your brain sends signals to your body, coaxing it to relax. By incorporating deep breathing into your routine, you can reap all the incredible benefits it has to offer.

What Are These Magical Benefits?

• Zen-like Calm: Deep breathing has the power to soothe your mind and nervous system. You can literally feel the stress melt away!
• Oxygen Boost: Ah, sweet oxygen! Deep breathing helps you take in more of this life-giving gas, nourishing your body and brain.
• Heart Party: Your heart deserves some love, and deep breathing delivers. It lowers your heart rate, respiratory rates, and blood pressure, giving your ticker a much-needed break.
• Sleepy Time: Need to catch some Z’s? Deep breathing is your go-to sandman. It helps you drift off to dreamland, soothes your muscles, and even speeds up your meditation mojo.
• Stress Ninja: When tension strikes during exams, interviews, or dreaded deadlines, deep breathing comes to the rescue. Consider it your trusty stress-busting sidekick.
• Energy Flow: Deep breathing helps clean and rejuvenate your body’s energy channels, like a refreshing spa day for your inner chi. It keeps your heating and cooling cycles in check, so you can stay balanced and invigorated.
• Breath of Fresh Air: Say goodbye to shortness of breath! Deep breathing prevents pesky air from getting trapped in your lungs, making you feel refreshed, centered, and ready to take on the world.

Now that you’re armed with this knowledge, let’s dive into two simple yet effective deep breathing exercises.

1. Simple Abdominal Breathing Exercise

Feeling anxious? No problem! Try this relaxation technique that you can perform anywhere, anytime – standing, sitting, or lying down.

To practice this technique, you need to:

• Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose. Keep your shoulders relaxed. Your abdomen should expand and your chest should rise slightly.
• Exhale slowly through your mouth. As you blow the air out, purse your lips slightly, but keep your jaw relaxed. You may hear a soft “whooshing” sound as you exhale.
• Repeat this breathing exercise for several minutes.

Begin with just 5 minutes. If you feel 5 minutes are too long, you can start with just 2 minutes. Increase the time when you begin finding it easier and comfortable. You can practice this multiple times a day.

2. Equal Breathing

Now, let’s take deep breathing to the next level with some equal breathing magic. This technique focuses on inhales and exhales of the same duration, usually between 3 and 5 counts. Once you’ve mastered it, you can do it during yoga, or even while conquering your daily activities.

To practice this technique:

• Take a comfortable seated position and breathe in and out through your nose only.
• Count during each inhale and exhale to make sure they are even in duration. Alternatively, choose a word or short phrase to repeat during each inhale and exhale.
• You can take a slight pause after each inhale and exhale if you feel comfortable (normal breathing involves a natural pause).
• Continue practicing this breathing technique for at least 5 minutes and you can increase the duration up to 10-15 minutes.

So there you have it! Deep breathing is your ticket to a calmer, more relaxed you. Remember, stress may try to trap you at your desk, but with these breathing exercises in your arsenal, you’ll be the master of stress, deadlines, and paperwork mayhem. Take a deep breath and let the relaxation flow through your veins like a cool breeze on a sunny day. You’ve got this!

If this article helped you, let us know your thoughts in the comments below. You can find more articles and techniques to beat stress here. You can also reach out to a GOQii Coach for expert guidance by subscribing to Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce