Focused Breathing Exercise

Wellness care practices maintain life balance for preventative care; and essential in today's chaotic world. One of the keys to maintaining balance is to perform the practices before the onset of experiencing  symptoms of stress and anxiety.  The following practice can be done anytime and anyplace as soon as you feel symptoms begin to bubble up. Or, when you're already in the midst of having stress and anxiety and need to calm yourself down.
Focused Breathing Exercise: 5 5 5
1. Mentally say to yourself in your mind "Breathe." This engages the body-mind connection.
2. Keeping your mouth relaxed and closed, take a deep breath through your nostrils, inhaling for 5 full seconds.
3. Slightly part your lips, and exhale slowly for 5 seconds. 
4. Repeat 5 times.
5. To enhance the calming experience, gently relax your hand on your belly during this exercise. If you've ever noticed how babies are soothed by having a loved one gently place their hand on their belly, your hand on your belly engages the same calming response. 

Try it and let me know how it worked for you.