How Breathing Changed My Life
Why I Re-learned How to Breathe
Meet Edward, a perpetually stressed individual caught in the relentless cycle of anxiety and exhaustion. His frantic pace leaves him breathless and visibly strained. Yet, his mistake is clear: a life consumed by stress, anxiety, and sleep deprivation. This lifestyle not only harms mental well-being but also takes a toll on physical health.
The solution? Simply breaths.
Despite its simplicity, this remedy often takes a backseat to the demands of daily life. However, it’s time to prioritize self-care and embrace a more restful life. By adopting this mindset, we can unlock better sleep, heightened energy levels, and increased productivity.
Ready to reclaim joy amidst the chaos? Join me as we explore a step-by-step plan to cultivate a more balanced and fulfilling life.
Step One: Learn to Breathe
Breathing plays a crucial role in our lives. In studying Kinesiology, I’ve learned that our nervous system has two different modes: “Fight or Flight” and “Rest and Digest.” The purpose of the fight or flight mode is to make us ALERT in the presence of danger.
The rest and digest mode does just what it sounds like: it helps us digest our food and heal our bodies while we sleep. Balancing these modes is vital for energy, sleep, and metabolism.
So how do we balance these systems? Through breathing exercises and stress relief. Take a moment now to inhale deeply and exhale slowly. Notice the relaxation and reduced stress. Reflect on your emotions. Now, consider factors contributing to your stress.
Are you overwhelmed by busyness? Do you prioritize activities that bring joy? Aligning priorities is essential for a healthier, balanced life.
Step Two: Prioritize What Matters
The best analogy about prioritization that I have ever heard was from a mentor of mine who told me that life is like Settlers of Catan.
In the game, we are essentially building a road that will take over all other roads on the board. To accomplish this task we need to use wood, bricks, sheep, wheat, and ore. We sometimes need to spend some of our resources in the hope of getting a better resource.
This concept is true in our most valuable resource — time. As we spend more and more of our time working or on social media we lose more and more of our time for our hobbies and our family.
I am by no means telling you to quit your job but I am saying that we must learn how to take a deep breath and re-prioritize the things in this life that are truly important like our family and friends.
Step Three: Get Proper Sleep
Society has lost the value of sleep.
We all know how important sleep is yet it seems to be a disposable resource to us. We need too much homework so we HAVE to stay up. We need to catch up on our social media pages so we HAVE to stay up. We need to watch YouTube videos so we HAVE to stay up.
The key word is the word “have” like we don’t have any choice in the matter. We always have the ability to choose. Let’s get mental and physical health back on track and choose to prioritize sleep.
Wrap Up
In conclusion, Edward’s story sheds light on the impact of stress and the importance of prioritizing rest.
By simply breathing and embracing a more restful life, we can unlock better sleep, heightened energy levels, and increased productivity. Through prioritization and proper sleep, we can reclaim joy in the midst of the chaos in our modern life.
It’s time to reprioritize what truly matters and make conscious choices to prioritize our mental and physical well-being. Let’s choose to prioritize self-care and reclaim control over our health and happiness.
