Wound up? Tired but wired? It is so frustrating when your body just won’t calm down.
It is exhausting to be in the constant stage of stress. Luckily, there are some very effective stress relief methods including breathing exercises that help you to cope with stress. You can reduce stress levels by activating your parasympathetic nervous system.
Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) conserves your energy and brings your body back from “fight or flight” to “rest and digest”. It also slows down your heart rate, relaxes your muscles, lowers your blood pressure and so on.
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This post has been updated and now only has two relaxation breathing methods I use.
How to Activate Parasympathetic Nervous System
What makes you feel stress free. Maybe it is reading a book, watching a movie, going for a walk or hanging out with a friend. I think all those stress relief methods are great and work well when you are in the early stages of Adrenal Fatigue. They are also part of the recovery process in the late stages but can drain your energy if overdone.
I love going for walks but there were times when that was too much for me. It wore me out instead of helping me. I enjoy having friends over but it used to drain my energy. I had to be careful to avoid books, movies etc. that affected me negatively like tear jerkers and suspension.
Different stress relief methods have helped me but I learned that when I was in stage 3 the best way for me to relax was by using breathing techniques. Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system and that’s what we want.
The following breathing methods are great at relaxing the body and mind; they also help me to go to sleep. If you are suffering from insomnia you might be interested in checking out these Natural Sleep Remedies That Work for Me.
5 to 1
In stressful situations we tend to take shallow rapid breaths. An easy way to slow down the breathing is to focus on the exhalation. In this breathing exercise you inhale and exhale through your nose.
1. Slowly count from 5 to 1 as you exhale. Or you could do 4 to 1 if that feels more comfortable.
2. Repeat until you feel your breathing slowing down.
10 Minutes of Belly Breathing
1. Lie down. Place your hands on your abdomen if that is comfortable to you.
2. Inhale through your nose into your abdomen.
3. Exhale sl0wly through your nose.
Keep your focus on your breathing. Your mind probably starts wondering but bring it back to your breathing.
Do this for ten minutes or longer.
These breathing methods are easy, convenient, and free; they are always available for you to calm down your racing heart and bring down the stress levels. What a great way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and give your adrenals the break they need.
Want to have fun while relaxing? Check out these Fun Stress Relief Methods.
Emotional freedom technique is also a great way to cope with anxiety.
Read also the post about Adrenal Fatigue Recovery Plan to learn more ways to cope with adrenal fatigue.
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