Stop everything you may be doing now and observe.
How is your breathing pace right now? Is it calm, fast, profound, or shallow?
Our breathing is directly connected to our internal emotional state. Studies have mapped some breathing patterns related to core emotions, such as sadness, fear, joy, and anger.
The good news is that breathing is the only automatic function of our body that we can access and modify consciously!
But wait, what for? You can use it in your favor when dealing with day-to-day challenges, for then regulating your emotions. And this will help you to gain clarity on your options and make better decisions.
Ok…and how exactly? Mindfulness is one of the ways!
Mindfulness means being aware of the present moment, which includes thoughts and feelings in a non-judgemental way.
Mindfulness promotes emotional stability and mental well-being, as it helps free our mind by shifting focus, ultimately calming and relaxing us.
Being mindful is also great for productivity as it enhances attention and helps people make fewer errors. This is due to the avoidance of ‘cognitive failures’, such as memory lapses, difficulty concentrating, and making mistakes in routine activities.
Don’t you have a clue how to start it?
Try this:
- Breath in for 3 seconds
- Hold you the breathe, with your lungs full of air for 3 seconds
- Breath out for 3 seconds
- Hold you the breathe, with your lungs empty of air also for 3 seconds
- Repeat for 3-5 minutes.
By controlling your breathing and focusing entirely on it, you can reduce your rate of breathing, then ultimately, your heart rate. And this helps change your internal emotional state: there’s a reason to count to 10 in a stressful situation.
Besides breathing techniques, you also can practice mindfulness by engaging your senses, with the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, for example, as follows:
- Name 5 things you can see
- Name 4 things you can touch
- Name 3 sounds you can hear
- Name 2 things you can smell
- Name 1 flavor you can taste
These and other simple techniques help increase the feeling of being present and can even help alleviate anxiety!
Be more careful with your mind before it gets too late!
If you need support with that, schedule an initial call with me free of charge; click now on this link!
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About me: I’m a High-Performance Coach who uses a Neuroscience-based method to support you in Achieve More with Mental Well-Being.
