The Power of Mindful Breathing

- Martina Atanackovic

Mindful breathing can serve as an important tool for mental well-being! 

Studies show that mindful breathing lowers pain scores and stress, because it allows the individual to focus on their bodily sensations, rather than being distracted by pervasive, often negative, thoughts (Sinclair, 2021). 

Mindful breathing is a form of grounding, which can be an especially helpful tool to use in tough times. It also has positive chemical effects on multiple brain segments, including those associated with our emotions, focus, and bodily regulation (Bullock, 2019). 

Mindful breathing can additionally engage the “rest and digest” reaction from your parasympathetic nervous system (Celestine, 2024). When in a stressful situation, mindful breathing can give you the opportunity to reset, both physically, and emotionally. 

Mindful breathing consists of deep breathing exercises, or exaggerated forms of breathing (Sinclair, 2021). While breathing, you are focused on the quality and patterns of your breath. One method suggests not altering your natural breath sequences, but rather, allowing yourself to be curious on the inflow and outflow of air (Celestine, 2024).

One example of grounding breathwork would be the following breath pattern: 

Inhale through your nose for three seconds, hold your breath for two seconds, and exhale for four seconds. 

To engage in mindful breathing, situate yourself in a comfortable environment; whether that’s sitting on the floor, or lying on your couch (Celestine, 2024). Close your eyes, and choose an aspect of your breathing to focus on. Ideas include counting the length of your breaths, or paying close attention to the physical energy exchange within your body (Sinclair, 2021). 

This pattern allows you to direct attention onto your body, increasing your focus on the present moment at hand (Sinclair, 2021). Mindful breathing is also accessible and easily interpretable into your daily routine. 

Deep breathing practices often only require 5-10 minutes of your time, and can be a great way to start your day!

References 

Bullock, G. (2019, October 19). What focusing on the breath does to your brain. Greater Good. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_focusing_on_the_breath_does_to_you r_brain#:~:text=A%20recent%20study%20in%20the,according%20to%20a%20set%20rh ythm 

Celestine, N. (2024, July 12). What is mindful breathing? exercises, scripts and videos. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/mindful-breathing/ 

Sinclair, J. (2021, July 12). How mindful breathing can change your day (and your life). BetterUp. https://www.betterup.com/blog/mindful-breathing