I learned this awesome breathing technique from the Focused and Bookworm podcast about the 4-7-8 breathing method.
It’s basically breathing in for four seconds, holding for seven, and exhaling for eight.
Dr. Dula discussed a different breathing method that stuck with me in my college days. Think of taking a deep breath as filling up your stomach with air, then completely emptying your stomach of all the air.
With both methods, the key is to focus on your breath, imagining your lungs expanding and contracting. I’ve been doing something similar for years, deep breathing to calm down when my mind starts racing with stress. Holding your breath seems to help clear everything out and bring a sense of peace. It’s a simple but powerful way to reset when life feels overwhelming.
I do not stress very often but have found this particularly helpful whenever I wake up in the middle of the night and cannot go back to sleep. I typically never have any trouble getting to sleep but will occasionally wake up wide awake around 3a and think that it’s time to wake up. Combining the two breathing methods helps me to focus on relaxing and most nights, I am right back to sleep.
