box breathing

Box Breathing

/ Robert Bruton / Leave a comment

Box breathing, also known as square breathing or four-square breathing, is a simple relaxation technique that can help to reduce stress and improve overall physical and mental health. It involves inhaling and exhaling deeply, using a specific pattern to regulate the breath.

Some potential benefits of box breathing include:

Reducing stress and anxiety: By focusing on the breath, box breathing can help to calm the mind and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.

Improving sleep: The deep breathing involved in box breathing can help to relax the body and mind, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Enhancing concentration and focus: The rhythmic pattern of box breathing can help to improve concentration and focus, making it a valuable tool for athletes, students, and others who need to stay focused and mentally sharp.

Supporting respiratory health: Deep breathing can help expand the lungs and improve oxygen circulation throughout the body, supporting respiratory health.

Enhancing overall well-being: By reducing stress and improving sleep, concentration, and respiratory health, box breathing can help to enhance overall physical and mental well-being.

Overall, box breathing is a simple and effective relaxation technique with many physical and mental health benefits.

To practice box breathing, follow these steps:

  • Find a comfortable position with your back straight and your feet planted firmly on the ground.
  • Place your hands on your stomach, and take a deep breath through your nose, allowing your stomach to expand as you inhale.
  • Hold your breath for a count of four.
  • Slowly exhale through your mouth, allowing your stomach to contract as you exhale.
  • Hold your breath for a count of four.
  • Repeat the inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding cycle for four counts each.
  • Continue for several minutes, focusing on the breath and the rhythmic pattern of inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding.

You can also try adding visualization to your box breathing practice. For example, you can imagine inhaling calm and exhaling stress with each breath. Or, you can imagine a square, with each side representing one part of the breath cycle (inhale, hold, exhale, hold).

Remember to breathe deeply and slowly, allowing the breath to fill your lungs and expand your stomach. And, as with any relaxation technique, be patient and allow yourself time to get used to the practice. With regular practice, box breathing can be a powerful tool for reducing stress and improving overall well-being.

a woman in gray sports bra meditating with her hands together
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com

Calm

/ Robert Bruton / Leave a comment

Calm

For as many years as I can remember, being calm was challenging for me. What occurs when you can’t find peace is irritability, anxiety, health issues, and the list.

In my research, the critical ingredient is learning to be calm to find peace in my own life. Calm under fire!

When you learn to master the skillful art of remaining calm under fire, you can overcome anything that life throws at you.

How, might you say?

First, you need to learn how to breathe and focus on breathing in stressful situations.

Box Breathing:

  • Breathe in, counting to four slowly. Feel the air enter your lungs.
  • Hold your breath for 4 seconds. Then, try to avoid inhaling or exhaling for 4 seconds.
  • Slowly exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds.
  • Repeat steps 1 to 3 until you feel re-centered.

Simple Breathing:

  • In through the nose and out through the mouth. Nice easy breaths.

Keeping your fingertips together while breathing has also been helpful for me. As stress elevates, I rub my fingertips together slowly. It’s calming.

Breathing will help relieve the stress that can cause pain in the neck and back.

Why all this is so important, you may ask.

close up of splashing water
Chill

Our mind functions way faster and more alert when our head is not spinning. Have you ever noticed that in a quiet space, for example, your head won’t shut up? We all have. I wrote an article called When Silence Screams.

Getting to a relaxed place will have incredible value for you. Your decision-making will be more spot-on when your head is quiet. Stress will be minimized in all aspects of your life. There is a difference between healthy and unhealthy habits.

Imagine being able to summon calm—stress response vs. calm response. Think about your dad. Would he respond more favorably to a stressed-out crazy response or a clear, favorable, collected response?

Like anything new, this will take time to learn. At first, you will undoubtedly suck at being calm in the face of adversity. Then, however, you will gain confidence as you apply to breathe into your life.

As you learn new life skills, you must be easy on yourself. Set reminders that say “breathe.” Doing so will help shorten your learning curve. Make this part of your everyday!

Breathing will help you change your outlook from doom to I got this! Everyone you meet will be amazed that you don’t rattle. You learn to improvise, adapt and overcome any situation with a sharp mind.

Take time daily to meditate when you can to calm yourself. Meditation will help clear the stress and open your mind to receive intelligent thoughts. Not a mish-mosh of “Oh God, the world is over.” Vs. Clear, sharp, and concise.

Meditation should also become part of your everyday life. So, give yourself the gift of forty-five minutes of calm.

Now that you have read this short article. It’s time to get going. Set a reminder right now to breathe. Just doing breathing exercises throughout your day will begin to have positive progress.

My life has changed immeasurably by doing what I just wrote for you. Friends say my face does not look stressed; people near me say I am not as snappy as I might have been carrying stress.

It’s not hard; get to it!