From the course: How to Manage Feeling Overwhelmed

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Creating calm with breathing techniques

Creating calm with breathing techniques

From the course: How to Manage Feeling Overwhelmed

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Creating calm with breathing techniques

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- When we feel stressed or overwhelmed, our natural tendency is to hold our breath and tighten up our muscles. This physical pressure triggers the primal part of our brain, which then interferes with our ability to make good choices. At the same time, the sense of overwhelm often comes from feeling out of control, so one of the best things we can do in the moment we notice ourselves feeling overwhelmed is to shift our focus to something we can control, like our breath. This helps us in both ways, first, releasing the physical tension while also giving us a sense of control. Instead of spinning in our minds about what we could or should be doing, when we bring our focus down to a more basic level of breathing and relaxing, we can pivot ourselves in a more positive direction. One of the fastest ways to feel more calm is to initiate something called the relaxation response by breathing in a rhythmic pattern. Research…

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