Did You Breathe Today? Let’s Start Now!
Did you breathe today? I mean really breathe. Took a quiet moment, just a moment, and filled your lungs and belly with air and slowly exhaled. If you didn’t then you should try it. Taking a moment or 5 minutes or 20 minutes to do some mindful breathing can make a huge difference in how you’re feeling.
Big Deep Breath
Notice if you’re shoulders are almost touching your ears because you’re so tense. Let them drop, roll them back and take a big deep breath and blow the tension out. It works. When my son was younger and struggling with anxiety and overwhelm, we would do breathing exercises. He would imagine that there was a balloon in his hand, and he had to take a big deep breath then blow the balloon away. I would catch his cute, little, five-year-old self in a room alone with his little fingers pinched tight together holding his imaginary balloon. Then I would watch as he blew out a big deep breath and opened his fingers for his “balloon” to fly away. The smile afterward was the biggest reward, for both of us.
We get so wrapped up in the rapid pace of our lives and the million things we feel we need to be. Along with the multitasking and constant notifications that we forget to breathe. There is one thing that stays with us from the moment we are born until the moment we leave this earth. The breath. It is our life sustainer and harnesses great power. Use that power. Breathe. Put your hands on your belly and feel the rise and fall on your breath. Focus on the breath and only that just for a minute and slow everything down. When my son left for college I had a ton of anxiety about being separated from him. Doing breath work and meditation helped to focus on the good.
Take a Moment For You
You’re just one person and you can only really do one thing at a time well. Take a moment for yourself to silence the noise and take a deep breath. Your self-care is what enables you to care and do for others. Many of us are the doers, the care takers, the problem solvers. You need that care too.
I have a monthly meeting of community partners and at the end of the meeting I ask everyone to get quiet and still. I ask them to close their eyes and we breathe together. Instructing them when they leave, to get in their car and start it (because its’ hot in Louisiana) and turn their phone over and just take a minute to take a few deep breaths. Don’t look at your phone, send an email or check your notifications. Take a moment to breathe and reset before you dive back in. They are the doers and caretakers, the last ones to think of themselves. They are the direct care providers, social workers, nurses, community leaders and more.
Check In With The Breath
So, did you breathe today? What about right now? Whenever you’re reading this and wherever you are you can take a breath now. Notice where your shoulders are, find your breath and inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale. Slow it down. The world is going to keep turning and you’ll still have your list of things to do. But, maybe now you can do it in a more relaxed and mindful state. If you’re wanting to practice your breathing and looking for some guided breathing and meditation exercises, then try the Calm app. I use it several times a day, for my meditation in the morning and for mini moments during the day, just two to three minutes to breathe. It’s a great tool for your self-care and to practice mindfulness. Good luck and don’t forget to breathe today.
