3 deep breathing tips for stress relief to help you relax

Ever find yourself sighing and yawning when you're under stress? That's your body's way of getting you to breathe more deeply. Why not kick off your stress-reduction program by building on that instinct. Here are three tips to get you started.

Intentional sighing will help dissolve physical tension and get more oxygen into your system. Here's how to do it:

1. While sitting or standing straight, with your hands at your sides or resting on your knees, let the air rush out of your lungs as if you were deeply relieved that a stressful event has passed – even if it hasn't.
2. For the moment, forget about how you're breathing in. Just take another breath naturally and let it rush out again.
3. Repeat 10 times for a total of 12 sighs. By the time you've finished, it won't feel like you're sighing anymore. Instead, you'll be breathing deeply.

To help your chest expand and boost lung capacity, lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.

1. Place your hands behind your head and bring your elbows together so they're nearly touching. As you inhale, slowly let your elbows drop to the sides so your arms are flat on the floor when your lungs are full. As you exhale, raise your elbows again slowly.
2. Strengthen your diaphragm by giving the muscle some resistance while you're breathing. To do this, wrap a belt around your abdomen, then lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. As you exhale, pull on the belt to put pressure on your abdomen.
3. As you inhale, slowly let up on the pressure, but keep the belt tight enough so that your diaphragm must push against it to fill your lungs. An alternative is to press on your abdomen with your hands.

Another way to make sure you're breathing properly – and by "properly," we mean from your belly, not your chest – is to practice this deep-breathing exercise. Deep breathing makes tense muscles relax indirectly by signalling to your brain that you've entered a state of rest and peace. Do this exercise daily or anytime you notice that stress is getting the better of you.

1. Find a quiet place and sit comfortably, with your back straight against the back of a chair. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach, then breathe normally. Pay attention to which hand moves the most as you inhale and exhale. If it's the one on your chest, the lower areas of your lungs are not filling with air.
2. Take a deep breath through your nose. Inhale slowly so you can't hear your breathing; if the rush of air makes a noise, you're inhaling too quickly. Fill the bottom sections of your lungs first so your diaphragm pushes the hand on your stomach outwards. Continue to inhale until you fill the upper parts of your lungs, making the hand on your chest rise slightly.
3. Hold your breath for a moment and think of the word relax.
4. Exhale slowly and naturally. It's okay if you can hear the air escaping.
5. Continue breathing in and out slowly for several minutes.

Not only are these exercises simple, but they can be done when you're on-the-go or at work. If you make these tips a part of your daily routine, you're almost sure to dramatically decrease your daily stress.