Loved By Jane

“The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness”

Abraham Maslow

MINDFUL BREATHING – how this can help you be present

Life can feel very stressful at times and our minds can get overwhelmed with worries and thoughts.  When you are feeling stressed and anxious it is really helpful to bring yourself back to THE PRESENT by focusing on your BREATH.

Do this by inhaling and exhaling for 5 minutes.  Find a comfortable position to sit in, making sure your back is straight and letting your hands rest where you feel comfortable, then close your eyes.  Aim to inhale through the nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds – always FOCUSING on your BREATH.

Mindful breathing is all about learning to focus your attention on your breath.  This is a tool that I find very helpful, and often use this to meditate.  I find that by focusing on just a single sensation it helps me to still my mind (especially in a world where there is so much distraction and constant noise, right!).  There are lots of techniques out there and it’s all about practising and finding out what works best for you.  Some of the health benefits of mindful breathing include reducing stress, reducing blood pressure and increasing relaxation and slowing down your breathing.  I hope that it is a helpful tool for you as well.

If stress gets too much then help is available from great organisations such as MIND and MHFA England, they both have lots of great tools and advice for managing stress, which you can find here;

Mind https://www.mind.org.uk/workplace/national-stress-awareness-day/

MHFA England  https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/campaigns/mhaw2018/

Thanks for stopping by and let me know if you have any other great tips for managing stress,

Jane 🙂

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