Managing stress in your life is a great way to improve your overall health but we know that is easier said than done of course!
One method of handling your stress during the day is diaphragmatic breathing (using your diaphragm to breathe instead of your chest). We often include diaphragmatic breathing in our warm-ups or cool downs too
By practicing diaphragmatic breathing, you can provide your body with more oxygen, slowing your heartbeat, and possibly lowering or stabilizing blood pressure. This should help lower your stress level.
Next time you feel stressed, try this:
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Breathe through your nose and make sure that the air is inflating near your stomach instead of your chest.
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Push your stomach outwards to draw air through your nose and then exhale through pursed lips longer than your exhale (4-5 seconds).
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Try for 60 seconds and then resume your normal breathing routine.
