Breathing techniques to help you relax after work

Wellness expert Richie Bostock founded a company dedicated to sharing conscious breathing techniques with others last year. The breathing guru believes simple changes can help people with everything from anxiety and depression to stress, the Daily Mail reports.

Here are some breathing techniques to calm you down in five different scenarios.

Feeling general anxiety

This technique will help to shift your nervous system from action mode to rest mode. It is called 1-2-1 breathing where the '1-2-1' refers to the length of each step of the breath which is one part inhale, two parts exhale, one part pause.

To start, put one or both hands over your belly button and when you breathe in, inhale through your nose and feel your hands rise a few centimeters and then fall a few centimeters as you exhale through the nose.

Try this gentle breathing rhythm - three second inhale, six second exhale, three second pause. If that is comfortable you can even try and extend each part of the breath (so 4-8-4 or 5-10-5 etc).

Repeat for five minutes.

Stressful day at work

This technique is wonderful for relaxing your nervous system using your own internal clock, your heart beat! Find somewhere comfortable to sit and close your eyes. Find your pulse on your wrist.

Start to breathe to the beat of your heart, making your in-breaths and your out-breaths last five heart beats each. Breathe in and out of the nose, making your belly rise on the inhale and fall on the exhale.

Repeat for five minutes, and notice how your pulse slows the longer you breathe.

Sunday blues

This technique is a variation on a Sufi breathing technique and is very helpful if you are in need of an energy pick me up.

Take three quick and powerful inhales through the nose, progressively filling up your lungs more and more, then exhale out with a sigh through the mouth. Repeat this pattern for two to three minutes and notice the difference in how you feel!

Before a confrontation

Here is a technique that was originally developed by Japanese zen masters but gained popularity in the west when it was discovered that Navy SEALS were using it before they went into battle to try and calm their nerves.

It's called box breathing. The breath is broken down into four equal parts, like the sides of a square. The length of each part should be whatever feels comfortable to you. A good place to start is five seconds, but you could make the lengths even longer if you like.

Start with empty lungs and breathe into your belly through your nose for a count of five seconds, hold your breath for a count of five, exhale for a count of five and hold your breath for a count of five.

Repeat this pattern for at least five minutes or until you have felt yourself fully calm down.

Richie Bostock

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