Relaxation techniques
Below you can find a list of different relaxation techniques. You can try one, two or all of them! We know that some people might prefer one above another and that is fine. We recommend you try to schedule some or all of the activities that you find most useful more regularly in your daily schedule.
The goal of tactical breathing is to switch from quick and shallow chest breathing, which is part of the stress response, to slow and deep breathing by taking deep breaths, bringing on the relaxation response. Tactical breathing activates the relaxation response by supplying a rich supply of oxygen to the blood.
For many of us, breathing with our chests is a habit, and it may feel strange to breathe into the belly. In a second, we will go through an easy way to start mastering belly breathing.
When we are feeling anxious or sad, our breathing rate tends to increase, and we take in more Oxygen (O2) and breathe out more Carbon Dioxide (CO2) than usual. However, because the body is not working any harder than usual, it is not using up any extra O2, and so it is not producing any extra CO2. This change in CO2 blood concentration can lead us to feel panicky sensations such as increased temperature, palpitations, sweating, a tight chest and other uncomfortable sensations. The more we can keep the right balance of O2 and CO2, the better the conditions are for managing stress.
Below an Audio recording which can guide you during the breathing relaxation exercise. You can downloadLink opens in a new window the audiofile if you want to practice after the session too!
