Introduction
In today's fast-paced world nowadays, stress & anxiety senses have been facing all of us. That's due to over-word, lots of deadlines, some relationship-related problems, etc...
The continuous running all the time can make us overwhelmed and hold our focus at specific times.
Despite all of the negative feelings that catch you, there is a powerful tool you should use. It will help you become more calm, relax, and regain your focus levels.
In this blog, I'll discuss with you the power of the 4-7-8 Breathing technique, How to use it to gain more calm & relaxation, and the science behind it.
Understanding the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique:
The 4-7-8 Breathing technique is a yet simple relaxing breath technique developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, a medical physician who can give you lots of advice in that field.
The big role of the 4-7-8 Breathing technique is to stimulate your body's relaxing response & promote a sense of calmness & stress level reduction.
Recommend for reading: Feeling pretty stressed? 10 Effective steps to do now to cope with that feeling
How does the 4-7-8 Breathing technique work?
It's a technique you need to practice & incorporate into your daily routine, which will have a huge improvement impact on your personality and stress level reduction.
To practice the 4-7-8 Breathing technique, follow these simple steps.
1. Find a comfortable position: Sit or lie down in a quiet and peaceful environment where you won't be disturbed. This will help in the reduction of any kind of disturbance.
2. Relax your body: Close your eyes -If it helps- and take a few deep breaths to center yourself and release any tension or tightness in your muscles. This will help you to gain more relaxation in your body & more calmness in your mind.
3. Inhale deeply through your nose for a count of 4 seconds: allow your lungs to fill with air as you count to 4 in your mind. This will make you focus on counting, increasing relaxation, and feeling the target.
4. Hold your breath for a count of 7 seconds: Once you've fully inhaled, hold your breath for 7 seconds, maintaining a sense of stillness.
5. Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds: With control and ease of breathing, exhale through your mouth, releasing all the air from your lungs as you count to eight in your mind.
6. Repeat the cycle: Continue this breathing pattern for 4 cycles, or as many times as you feel comfortable.
As a beginner, you can stick to only 2 cycles. You will do more over time when the technique becomes a daily ritual.
I promise you to feel more relaxed and calm.
The Science Behind the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique:
The 4-7-8 breathing technique aims to stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system response, also known as the "rest & digest" response. Its scientific name is. By extending the exhalation phase and slowing down the breath, this technique activates the vagus nerve, which helps regulate heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels. As a result, the body enters a state of deep relaxation, promoting feelings of calmness and well-being.
Benefits of Practicing the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique:
Engaging with this technique in your daily routines can offer lots of benefits, including:
I use this technique in my daily routine. I am an engineer, programmer & blogger, and I always have lots of tasks to do daily, so engaging some tools like that helps me a lot in stress management, and divides my energy among all these tasks.