"As a nation, we work longer hours, are more obsessed with our email and spend more time glued to our desk than ever before - and we're suffering the crippling consequences" ~ shortlist.com

Do any of these sound familiar?
Exhaustion, frustration, anxiety, stagnation, holding the weight of responsibility, chronic worrying, overthinking, trouble sleeping or switching off, feeling under pressure?

Recent studies have shown that the world economy loses about 12 billion working days per year due to employee burnout, while health insurances annually spend € 700 billion for the recovery of workers. Burnout is becoming a systemic problem in the world of business.

So how do you deal with stress and how do breathing techniques help?

Stress is not always a bad thing - the key is our response to it.
In a fast-paced business, stress and adrenaline often go hand-in-hand which can be the propeller and fuel that keep those ever-shortening deadlines met and businesses thriving.

Learning the value of using our breath and breathing techniques, can not only reverse the symptoms of stress but give us the opportunity to return with fresh perspective and energy to that never-ending to-do list and endless responsibility we pile on ourselves as people, partners and associates. Breath awareness allows us to work with increased creativity, clarity in thought and overall a more grounded and calm way of being.

"There’s one restorative practice in particular that makes a meaningful difference in leaders’ performance: Conscious Breathing."
~ Johann Berlin (CEO of TLEX Institute)

How are you currently dealing with your stress?

A daily breathing practice can help reduce stress, relax your mind, improve your sleep and overall well-being. You will find yourself being able to deal with stress in a different way, you will feel more equipped, have a fresh perspective and most importantly these breathing techniques are always there for you to use. You just have to connect with them.

Your body is designed to release 70% of its toxins through breathing. If you are not breathing effectively, you cannot expel toxins from your body properly.

Here is a breathing pattern to get you started, it's called the Relaxation Breath 4-7-8

This simple technique acts a tonic for your nervous system, allowing greater relaxation & calm, helping relieve anxiety and stress. It is also beneficial for improving sleep.

1. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose to a mental count of four.

2. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale for a count of eight.

3. This is one breath cycle & then repeat.

Seem too easy? 

Trust me this works, but, did you actually do it? How long for? Will you repeat it daily?

We are masters of distraction, connecting with ourselves and our breath can sometimes bring up sensations or emotions that we are, more often than not too busy to deal with or perhaps they feel uncomfortable so we wish to avoid them.

Sitting with yourself and bringing your attention into your internal world is key to this work, but it's also really common to feel resistance around doing this.

Know this, tension and stress is cumulative, it doesn’t simply disappear on its own accord, it builds and builds and this is the 'crippling consequences' we are seeing, not just in the workplace but in ourselves and in our loved ones.

The long-term antidote, rather than unsustainable quick fix, is literally under your nose! What if I told you that the way that you breathe is a clear reflection of the way you live in this world and that noticing your breathing habits has a positive effect on the way that you live. Would you be more interested to connect to your breath today?