Well I am getting ready to kick off a lovely three day weekend with the family :) Hopefully you have some enjoyable things planned.
I hope to just relax!
And along with relaxing – breathing!
(Well, of course you’re going to breath, silly girl – like you have a choice?!)
I mean more than just normal breathing. You may already be familiar with the connection between breathing and stress reduction. If you’re not, here’s the skinny: slow, deep breaths can help reduce stress!
That’s it! Simple!
But I find another benefit to a few deep breaths: regaining control over food cravings.
The conflict of food can be a real source of stress for some people! When something is presented in front of me, my mind beings to wage war – The tongue is screaming to indulge; the body is asking for healthy foods. While it’s subtle, I have noticed that I start to tense up – my mind races between motivational quips to stop me, and simultaneously dumps a whirlwind of excuses and reasonings as to why indulgence is fine. (Don’t get me wrong – occasional indulgence IS fine. I’m taking about an on-going, too-often occurrence!)
When a person is anxious, breathing naturally shallows, along with a host of other automatic processes. But if you intervene, force yourself to calm down and breathe deeply, quiet your mind, I find you can often regain control and lessen the stress!
It’s not fool-proof, but it has helped me many a’time!
(And I have read from a source that I can’t recall right now, a theory that extra oxygen is beneficial to the body – keeps you more alkaline. And hyperbaric chambers pump oxygen into sick and injured individuals under the premise that various diseases cannot thrive in high oxygen environments. So hey! There may be additional bonuses besides kicking the craving!)
Hang in there, enjoy life, smile, and know you’re lovely! :D
~Katie
I hope to just relax!
And along with relaxing – breathing!
(Well, of course you’re going to breath, silly girl – like you have a choice?!)I mean more than just normal breathing. You may already be familiar with the connection between breathing and stress reduction. If you’re not, here’s the skinny: slow, deep breaths can help reduce stress!
That’s it! Simple!
But I find another benefit to a few deep breaths: regaining control over food cravings.
The conflict of food can be a real source of stress for some people! When something is presented in front of me, my mind beings to wage war – The tongue is screaming to indulge; the body is asking for healthy foods. While it’s subtle, I have noticed that I start to tense up – my mind races between motivational quips to stop me, and simultaneously dumps a whirlwind of excuses and reasonings as to why indulgence is fine. (Don’t get me wrong – occasional indulgence IS fine. I’m taking about an on-going, too-often occurrence!)
When a person is anxious, breathing naturally shallows, along with a host of other automatic processes. But if you intervene, force yourself to calm down and breathe deeply, quiet your mind, I find you can often regain control and lessen the stress!It’s not fool-proof, but it has helped me many a’time!
(And I have read from a source that I can’t recall right now, a theory that extra oxygen is beneficial to the body – keeps you more alkaline. And hyperbaric chambers pump oxygen into sick and injured individuals under the premise that various diseases cannot thrive in high oxygen environments. So hey! There may be additional bonuses besides kicking the craving!)
Hang in there, enjoy life, smile, and know you’re lovely! :D
~Katie
No comments:
Post a Comment