Feeling stressed and overworked? Controlled breathing exercises can help you to promote feelings of calm and relaxation. During periods of high stress and anxiety, you may find yourself breathing too fast and too shallow – this leads to shortness of breath and increases your feelings of anxiety.

Here are three quick breathing exercises to help you find your inner calm. Each exercise takes less than 10 minutes.

1. Abdominal Breathing Technique:

•  Place one on your chest and your other hand on your stomach
•  Take deep breath through your nose, breathing in so that your diaphragm expands with enough air to feel a stretch in your lungs.
•  Breath in 7-10 deep slow breaths per minute, for ten minutes. This exercise will help you to reduce your blood pressure and heart rate.
•  Conduct this exercise every day to feel long-term benefits.

2. Four-Second Breathing:

•  This is a quick and simple exercise you can do anywhere
•  Breathe in through your nose while slowly counting to four
•  Breathe out through your mouth while slowly counting to four
•  Repeat ten times.

3. Positive Visualisation:

•  Create a quiet environment, in silence or with a meditation soundtrack playing softly in the background
•  Whilst breathing deeply and slowly, focus on positive and enjoyable images and memories
•  These positive images will help to replace negative thoughts or stresses occupying your mind
•  Continue for ten minutes.

These breathing exercises will help you to relieve your anxiety and regain focus and balance.