5 Breathing Techniques That Can Reduce Your Mental Stress

In today’s day and age, stress and anxiety have become the main reasons behind people developing hypertension, diabetes, and other medical conditions. This is because their stress levels are so high that their internal body tends to get affected too. Be it a personal issue or a work-related situation, taking too much stress can make your body and mind suffer immensely. For the elderly, anxiety is an enemy that can deteriorate their health very easily. As it is, the immune system of senior citizens is weak compared to other age groups, hence, taking too much stress is not advised. Breathing techniques can help in relieving negative emotions and making you feel relaxed. The key is to know how to breathe in a certain way that can make you feel calm. So, what is the best breathing technique? There is not only one but five! Read on to know more about these breathing techniques for relieving anxiety:

1.    Pranayama

Yoga breathing techniques like Pranayama have been celebrated all over the world for quite some time now. This is mainly due to the benefit that it provides to your body and mind. Considered as one of the best breathing techniques, it can be practised under the guidance of a Yoga Guru or by someone who has years of experience in the field. It is among the safest senior citizen activities, so your safety would not be compromised. To begin with, you should try out the basic pranayama as it will be easy to understand and incorporate into your daily routine. Begin by sitting on a comfortable chair or on your bed and start breathing deeply. Notice your inhales and exhales by counting the seconds that is used in making each motion. Gradually, try to increase the count and continue this method until you are able to feel calm. Breathing techniques in yoga are highly effective if done properly and regularly.

2.    Deep Breathing

Trying out breathing techniques can get a little overwhelming at the beginning for people above the age of 65. In order to make yourself feel comfortable, deep breathing techniques should be practiced. Once you get used to them, only then you can try out others. Seniors who have the habit of short breathing can lie down on their bed and breath slowly. This will help them breathe from the diaphragm in a better manner. You can also place your hand on your abdomen in order to check your breathing. Techniques for relaxation are suggested for the elderly so that their stress levels can reduce naturally.

3.    Morning Breathing

During the pandemic situation, all of us have been stuck at home for months. Due to this, getting our regular morning walks has become almost impossible. However, this does not mean that you cannot improve your breathing while staying indoors. Although getting a fresh breath of air is a little difficult, you can always go to your terrace, balcony or lawn in the morning time. While standing in an attention position, bend down with your hands dangling near to the floor. Then you should inhale slowly and get back to the standing position in a slow manner. At this moment, try to hold your breath for a few seconds and then exhale. This is one of the top breathing techniques for stress relief that the elderly can do on a daily basis.

4.    4-7-8 Breathing

Different breathing techniques can be tried out before choosing a few that will suit you the best. One option to consider is the 4-7-8 breathing exercise. Seniors can do this while lying on their back on the floor or bed, according to their convenience. You have to put a hand on your belly while the other on your chest region. Inhale from your abdomen while up to 4 seconds and then hold your breath for 7 seconds. When you exhale out air, do make sure that it is done in a gradual manner that accounts for up 8 seconds. While this might seem like one of the tougher breathing techniques to calm down, the results are quite exceptional.

5.    Visualisation Breathing

Rehabilitation for COVID-19 patients should include some breathing techniques in their everyday routine. It will help in the recovery process of their lungs, especially after an intense case of pneumonia. Visualisation breathing is a technique that the elderly can do with a lot of ease. You should lie down in a relaxed position and then close your eyes to begin breathing. Imagine a balloon that inflates when you inhale air in your belly. When you breathe out, you have to think that the balloon has deflated as well. This way, you will be able to have longer breaths directly from the diaphragm.

Breathing techniques that deepen your breath will help in fighting anxiety and stress in the smoothest manner possible. Thus, senior citizens should try out a few of them and improve their mental health.

At Emoha, we provide a range of elder home care services that include healthcare, convenience tasks, doctor home visit, emergency, community engagement, and a lot more. For us, it is always #EldersFirst