Small Habits to Alleviate Anxiety and Depression in Everyday Life.

Even small habits can have a significant impact on our body and mind. Especially, investing just 5 minutes a day in breathing exercises is one of the few ways we can influence the autonomic nervous system, which is challenging to change voluntarily. Breathing exercises regulate heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels by controlling inhalation and exhalation, activating the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Let's delve into the changes brought about by these short breathing exercises.

 

Experience for yourself the impact of a small 5-minute investment on improving anxiety and depression.

 

5-Minute Breathing More Effective for Anxiety and Mood Improvement than Meditation

A study conducted by Stanford University in the United States compared the health effects of 5-minute breathing exercises and meditation. The study aimed to assess the impact of mindfulness meditation and 5-minute breathing exercises on mental health with 108 participants. Mindfulness meditation involves solely focusing on one's breath.

 

Participants were asked to choose one of three breathing exercises to practice for 5 minutes daily for a month. The group that did not participate in any of the three breathing exercises was assigned to mindfulness meditation. The three breathing exercises included periodic sighing breaths, diaphragmatic breathing, and periodic hyperventilation.

 

Periodic Sighing Breath: Inhaling slowly and exhaling shortly after fully inflating the lungs, allowing the breath to be exhaled as much as possible.

 

Diaphragmatic Breathing: Inhaling, pushing the diaphragm under the lungs downward, allowing only the upper abdomen to rise.

 

Periodic Hyperventilation: Taking a deep breath, exhaling briefly 30 times before fully exhaling.

 

To measure participants' mood states, the research team used the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) technique. After a month, participants filled out a questionnaire to evaluate the impact of exercise on anxiety levels. The results showed that 5-minute daily breathing exercises were more helpful in improving mood and relieving anxiety than mindfulness meditation.

 

Healthy Changes Through Breathing

Properly regulating breathing enhances stress resilience and allows control over emotional and cognitive states. Engaging in 5 minutes of regular breathing exercises each day effectively contributes to managing our mental and physical health. Try practicing deep inhalation through the nose, followed by a short exhale through the mouth, fully inflating the lungs, and then slowly exhaling through the mouth in a comfortable position, sitting or lying down. Aim to exhale more than twice as long as the time taken to inhale initially, and it's crucial to consistently practice this.

 

Experience for yourself the impact of a small 5-minute investment on improving anxiety and depression. Join the journey of creating a healthy life through continuous effort and management.