3 minute read
Breathing
from KnoWhat_Vol1_EN
Stress at work is quite common these days. Deadlines, projects, understaffing, and too little time can be reasons for a stressful working day. We often take the pressure home with us, making it a lot harder to recharge for the next day.
Here are a few exercises for you on how you can easily, quickly, and at any time and place reduce your stress level and get through the day relaxed. And how does it work? We do it every day and continuously since birth, it feeds our brain with oxygen, and we can‘t survive without doing it - BREATHING!
Although we can literally do it in our sleep, there is more to it than you might think. We can trick our brain into relaxing with the way we are breathing.
Here are four techniques to reduce anxiety and stress, and to increase your concentration through the correct breathing.
2.
ALTERNATE BREATHING
Reduces stress and improves concentration
• Sit upright in a comfortable positio • Close your right nostril with your right thumb • Breathe in slowly and then exhale through the left nostril • At the end of the exhalation, close the left nostril with the ring finger while releasing the thumb from the right nostril. • Now inhale and exhale through the right nostril • Repeat 5-10 times
1.
BELLY BREATHING
Calms anxiety
• Put your hand on your belly • Breathe in slowly while sticking your belly out (fill your belly with air). • Breathe out slowly and relax your belly again (let all the air out) • Repeat this exercise 5 times
3.
4-7-8-BREATHING
Can relieve panic attacks and anxiety, regulate blood pressure and help you fall asleep.
• Begin with an exhale to empty your lungs • Inhale gently through your nose for 4 seconds • Hold your breath for 7 seconds • Exhale powerfully through the mouth for 8 seconds • Repeat 4 times
4.
MINDFUL BREATHING
a form of meditation
• Sit up straight but not stiff, close your eyes and breathe normally • At the end of the exhalation, count 1 • After the next exhalation, count 2 • Follow this pattern to a count of 5, and then start again at 1. • Repeat for about 5 minutes
Don‘t let your mind wander off during the exercise. You will notice that you are distracted if you have breathed without counting or if you notice that you have counted past 5. But don‘t worry if this happens; just return to your breath and start counting again..
© iStock Did you know that a lot of people breathe incorrectly? Here are four signs that you are breathing incorrectly:
• You yawn a lot • Your breath is very shallow • You breathe through your mouth • Only your chest is moving and not your belly
How do I breathe correctly?
The ideal form of breathing is called full breathing. It consists of chest, abdominal and flank breathing. With this breathing, for example, you can prevent headaches, fatigue, and lack of concentration.
This is how it works:
TIP
Sit upright, place one hand on your chest and breathe in; your chest should now rise and lower again when you exhale. Now place your hand on your belly and inhale again; your belly should rise and then lower as you exhale. On the next breath, place both hands on your flanks; feel your ribs stretching outwards as you inhale; this allows your lungs to absorb more oxygen. Repeat this exercise until your whole torso is moving.
GREEN MEETINGS & EVENTS
Go green!
Raising awareness and supporting the region are only two of the many reasons why your next event should be green. Green meetings and events are no longer just a trend but a necessity. Therefore, knowing the basics of organizing a green event is all the more important.
