Try practising a three-part breathing exercise anytime you need to add clarity, refocus your attention or relax after a bout of stressful activity.
Breathing is natural for all human beings. But how often do we notice our breathing patterns and slow down to adjust them so that they benefit rather than hinder us?
The simple breathing exercise recommended in this post is part of the self-care routine and psychological self-care in particular. It helps us to look after both, our body and our mind. And if we have a healthy body, we can build a healthy mind, so win-win from whatever side you look at it.
How will breathing exercises help us regain focus?
Focus is like an unruly toddler. One minute they are playing nicely with the toys, another they are running around the room throwing tantrums and ignoring any requests for order.
The trick with the toddler is to switch their attention as quickly as possible so they comply with your requests. The same goes for our wandering mind - we need to grab it and show it another path. We need to teach it to regain focus to avoid further meltdowns.
The three-part breathing exercise that I know from the book 101 Coaching Strategies and Techniques, does exactly that. It is used by coaches to help their clients avoid going into a rabbit hole of procrastination and helps them regain focus and clarity. It stabilises the mind and reduce stress and anxiety.
And Harvard Health Publishing recommends deep & relaxing breathing to decrease the 'fight-or-flight' response and diminish stress. Because stress makes it harder for us to focus. It's achieved by practising deep rather than shallow breathing while paying attention to the act of breathing itself and not necessarily how many breaths we take.
All you need is 5 minutes per day to quickly regain focus.
“The way we breathe directly affects the chemistry of our brains in a way that can enhance our attention and improve our brain health.” - Science Daily
Breathing Exercise to Regain Focus
There are a few simple rules you need to follow in order to gain real benefits from this breathing exercise.
Preparation
Sit down comfortably on a chair with your back straight and your feet shoulder-length apart.
Put your hands on your knees, palms up.
Relax your shoulders, chin and neck.
Close your eyes and open your mouth ever so slightly to avoid clenching your jaws.
Release tension from your body by tensing and relaxing it a few times.
Put one hand on your belly or slightly above it.
Practice
Breathe in through your nose and fill your lungs with air.
Hold your breath on a count of four (which could be increased with practice).
Breathe out slowly through your nose.
Repeat a few times, ideally five to seven. Be mindful that you don't practice shallow breathing or move from inhale to exhale too quickly. If you start feeling dizzy, stop and start again. Slow down your breathing. Don't rush. This exercise is not a chore. It is here to help you.
As extra oxygen starts swimming through your body, the focus and concentration will return. This exercise will also calm your nervous system as your body relaxes.
You could also include calming or relaxing phrases that you could say in your mind as you are breathing in or out.
For instance, 'I breathe in calm and I exhale stress'.
You could adapt those phrases to match your needs.
Final Thoughts
Even though breathing is something we do naturally, we often don't notice that it is laboured and shallow. When we are stressed or need to focus, the best thing is to check our breathing. Chances are we stop breathing for mili-seconds without realising it. This deprives our brains of oxygen and makes us more stressed and unfocused.
All we need to do to quickly regain focus is to practice a three-part breathing exercise where you make yourself consciously aware of your breathing.
Comments