How to Breathe Deeply for Instant Calm - by Jess Bretin

By contributor Jess Bretin - www.InfertilityandMS.com

IG - @infertilityandms

Do you know how to breathe deeply? It sounds simple, but as someone with lifelong anxiety and now infertility and a chronic illness, it is truly my number one tool for calming my mind and relaxing my body. 

Deep breathing has been essential for getting through my panic attacks and regulating my emotions during these years of trying to conceive. I utilize this practice daily to keep my stress levels down. The great thing is that it’s so easy and can be done anywhere and at any time. I even do it secretly around other people! 

Here’s how: 

1. Place your hand on your stomach. When you breathe in through your nose, your stomach should inflate and go out, and it should go back in when you breathe out.
2. Inhale deeply through your nose, counting for five seconds. 
3. Hold for three seconds. 
4. Exhale slowly through your mouth for seven seconds. Sometimes, a dramatically loud exhale can be relieving! 
5. Repeat a few times until you feel relaxed. 

If you can, close your eyes and focus only on your breath for a mindful experience. 

A second deep breathing technique to try is called “alternating nostrils.” 

1. Close one nostril with your thumb. 
2. Inhale through the other nostril, then close it with your index finger while opening the other nostril. 
3. Exhale through that nostril. Inhale through the same nostril and repeat. 

Why does deep breathing calm us down? According to the Mayo Clinic, the practice reduces our sympathetic nervous system’s “fight or flight” response and helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the part that “rests and digests.” This article goes into more depth. 

I hope these deep breathing exercises are a helpful and accessible tool for you during these difficult fertility times and for the rest of your life! They will help you to lower stress and achieve a more peaceful and balanced state of mind and body.