Breathing Exercises for Stress: Your Breath Does More Than You Think
You breathe roughly 20,000 times a day.
Most of those breaths happen without you thinking about them at all. Which is convenient, especially when your brain is already keeping track of life: appointments, groceries, schedules, emails and where someone left their little shoes.
But breathing is unusual.
It happens automatically, and we can consciously change it.
That gives us an interesting little doorway into parts of the body we normally can’t control on command.
You can’t simply ask your heart to slow down.
You can’t tell your nervous system to relax.
You can’t politely request thag your blood pressure drop.
But you can change the way you’re breathing.
And your body notices.
How Breathing Affects Your Nervous System
When we’re stressed, overwhelmed or rushing, our breathing often changes with us. It can become faster, shallower and more irregular.
That’s part of the body’s sympathetic, or “fight-or-flight,” response.
Slow, comfortable breathing can help shift the body in the other direction, toward parasympathetic activity: the rest, recover and restore side of the nervous system.
Your heart rate may slow. Your body can begin to relax. Blood vessels can respond. Research into slow breathing has also found potentially beneficial effects on blood pressure and cardiovascular regulation.
This is one reason breathing exercises for stress and overwhelm can be such a simple, accessible tool.
You’re changing something you’re already doing all day long.
Nasal Breathing Does More Than Bring in Air
And then there’s your nose.
It’s actually part of your body’s first line of defense.
When you breathe through your nose, tiny hairs, mucus and the structure of the nasal passages help filter, warm and humidify incoming air before it reaches your lungs.
Nasal breathing is also associated with nitric oxide produced in the nasal passages, a molecule involved in blood-vessel function and circulation.
So while breathwork isn’t an “immune booster” in the magical sense, and certainly isn’t a replacement for sleep, nutrition, movement or medical care, healthy breathing is connected to many of the systems that help your body function well.
Can Breathwork Help With Energy?
This may be where breathwork for busy moms becomes most useful in everyday life.
Sometimes what feels like:
I have no energy.
is actually:
I’m overwhelmed.
I’m tense.
I’ve been rushing for three hours.
My nervous system hasn’t gotten the message that the emergency is over.
A few intentional breaths aren’t going to replace a desperately needed night of sleep.
But slowing and changing your breathing can create a small physiological reset, one that may leave you feeling a little calmer, clearer and more present.
And sometimes calmer feels a lot like having more energy.
A Simple Breathing Exercise for Stress and Overwhelm
The beautiful part?
You don’t need another complicated wellness routine to remember.
You already brought the tool with you.
When you notice yourself feeling rushed, tense or overstimulated, try simply slowing down your breathing. Take a comfortable breath in, then allow your exhale to be easy and unhurried.
You don’t have to breathe perfectly.
You don’t have to turn it into another thing to accomplish.
Just notice your breath and give your body a moment to settle.
Try it:
In car line.
After a 3 a.m. feeding.
Before the meeting.
After the meltdown, theirs or yours.
While you’re waiting for the coffee to brew.
These tiny moments are what make breathing exercises for moms so practical. Your breath doesn’t require special equipment, a quiet room or another hour in your day.
It’s already there.
Your Breath Has Been With You All Along
Your breath has been quietly working in the background all along.
Sometimes, all you have to do is notice it.
And when you want a little extra love and guidance, Breathe Mama is here to breathe with you.
Your body already knows what to do.
A Breathe Mama Note
Breathwork can support relaxation and wellbeing, but it isn’t a treatment for high blood pressure, immune disorders or other medical conditions. If you have cardiovascular, respiratory or other health concerns, talk with your healthcare provider about which breathing practices are appropriate for you.