One Breath at a Time: How to Reduce Stress Through Mindful Breathing

It has been said that death and taxes are the only guarantees in life. Nowadays, you could add stress to that list. If you feel crushed under the weight of your “to-do list” and frazzled by the never-ending demands on your time, money, and mental well-being, you are not alone. Many people feel overwhelmed and burned out daily.

Everybody’s experience with stress is different, but most of us would like a lot less of it in our lives. The quest for stress-relief has become such a pressing need that a booming, world-wide industry has sprung up to fill the demand.

To that end, everything from workplace stress management classes to popping bubble wrap has been touted as a remedy for the chronically burned out.

Into the fray, mindfulness has emerged as a readily available, surprisingly effective stress buster. This ancient meditation technique isn’t just a new fad. It has actual science supporting its mental health benefits.

So, here’s what you need to know about using mindfulness to reduce your stress.

Stress is Toxic

Stress occurs as a response to environmental threats. We sense danger in our environment and our fight or flight response is activated. Stress hormones flood our body, our heart rate increases, and our muscles prepare to fight or flee.

Unfortunately, we evolved this response as a short term solution to life-threatening dangers, like a saber-toothed tiger, not as a chronic response to an over-bearing boss and nonstop deadlines.

How Mindfulness Impacts Stress

Mindfulness originated as a Buddhist meditation practice for cultivating moment-to-moment awareness. You don’t have to be a Buddhist to practice mindfulness, nor do you have to do anything complicated like assume the lotus position.

You simply have to become aware of the present moment, let go of judgment, and observe the world around you, your thoughts, feelings, or physical sensation with an attitude of openness and curiosity.

Evidence-based research on mindfulness supports a multitude of benefits for the overstressed, including:

• Improved cortisol levels.
• Decreased pain intensity
• Improved sleep
• Improved quality of life
• Stress reduction
• Improved mental health

How to Practice Mindfulness for Stress Relief

Mindfulness is very easy to practice and needs no fancy equipment. There are several meditations that you can try today including breath or body scan.

Breath meditation

To practice breath meditation, get in a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down. Relax your body and focus your attention on your breath. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, and notice how your breath feels inhaling and exhaling.

Observe your physical sensations. How does the breath feel in your stomach, in your chest? Do you notice any temperature changes between inhaling and exhaling? As you do this meditation, thoughts will come up and that’s okay. Just turn your attention back to the breath when this occurs.

Body scan meditation

With body scan meditation, your entire body and its physical sensations are the focus of attention. To practice this meditation, close your eyes and mentally scan your body, starting from the top of your head and going down to the bottom of your feet. Pay attention to each body part (e.g., legs or chest) and any physical sensations you experience, like warmth or tingling.

Bottom Line

Given the exhausting pace of modern life, the amount of stress most of us are under isn’t likely to go away. We must develop effective coping strategies to manage stress and protect our mental and physical well-being.

While we may not always be able to control external stressors, we can control how we respond to them, ensuring that stress doesn’t take a lasting toll on our health and happiness.

Mindfulness is an effective, evidence-based way of reducing the disastrous effects of chronic stress. It is a simple practice that involves nothing more than tuning into the present moment and observing your experience with curiosity and openness.