Give yourself some breathing space
We all need breathing space, when we need to take a moment to deal with stress, to stay calm, to manage any discomfort.
According to Do Breathe, we could take 600 million breaths in our lifetime. And we know that breathing just happens, we don’t have to think about it but we might not always be that good at using our breathing, to get the best benefit from it.
Knowing how to use your breathing can help to ease any aches and pain, it can help to give you more energy and it can help you to stay calm. It can give you more control over stress, panic and anxiety – so you are better equipped to work with it rather than feeling afraid and unable to deal with it.
Focusing on your breathing makes a difference because:
by slowing your breathing and relaxing your body, you are carrying less tension which eases stress – being less stressed can help to boost your mood, your digestion, your sleep and your ability to focus.
knowing how to use your breathing gives you a positive strategy to use when you need it as well as throughout the day to refocus and then to rewind at the end of the day.
if you are pregnant, you can use your breathing to help with aches and pains, for nausea, for energy, for sleep, for any anxiety or stress and as part of your birth preparation.
you can use your breathing to work with contractions, to deal with any back pain, to boost your energy, to help you rest and to help you to stay calm.
when your baby is here you can use your breathing as you heal, with feeding and to help your baby to settle.
Using your breathing can be a simple and effective tool to make small differences to your day. The key to using Relax & Breathe is to keep it simple:
slow your breathing
relax your muscles – your jaw, your shoulders, your hands, your pelvic floor and your legs and feet - and be aware of what that feels like
give yourself a few minutes to slow down and ease any stress or anxiety
find what works for you
So, where to start with relax & breathe?
It can help to bring it into your day, so it becomes familiar and easy to use when you need it. Just take a couple of minutes to focus on your breathing and relax your body…
to start your day - this could be in bed before your get up, as you feed your baby, in the shower, as you wait for the kettle to boil, as you walk to work
during your day - at work, in the loo, as you walk, with your lunch
at the end of your day - when you get in from work, in the bath, as you make dinner, before bed
It’s just about finding a few minutes every day to build a new habit to focus on you, especially as a busy parent. And you find more resources on my website…
I developed Relax & Breathe over 10 years ago now after using really simple skills to manage anxiety and panic, I have used it in my practice with parents and I have used it with my children.
I hope this has been a useful read - please do pass this on to other parents and let me have any comments or questions.