Warwick Busby 
Mindfulness is a practice of being aware of our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. It can help reduce stress by interrupting the body’s fight-or-flight response.
There are many mindfulness techniques that can be employed to reduce stress, such as breathing exercises, yoga and meditation. With regular use these practices will improve both physical and mental wellbeing and lead to deeper sleep.
1. Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises, combined with mindfulness practices, have been known to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Furthermore, they’re easy to practice and can be done anywhere.
Diaphragmatic breathing is a type of deep inhaling that restores lung function and encourages your nervous system to relax and rest. It can make you feel more energized and better equipped to tackle tasks throughout the day.
Exercise helps to release tension and stress from your back, shoulders, and other areas where muscles may be tight.
Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. This can be done as either a seated exercise or lying on your back with breaths into your belly.
Another exercise to improve your breathing is counting your breaths. Start by counting to three for each inhale and four for each exhale; as you become more familiar with your pattern of breaths, you can increase the number of counts as desired. You have complete control over how slowly or quickly you breathe in and out.
2. Yoga
Yoga is a practice that promotes mental, physical and spiritual well-being through postures (asanas), breathing exercises, meditation and mental imagery. Studies suggest even moderate amounts of yoga can reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
Stress activates our body’s fight or flight system, activating its stress sensors and leading us to act out our emotions in unhealthy ways.
Stress can manifest physically as muscle tension, irritability and digestive issues. It also alters your breathing pattern to cause shallow or excessive exhalations, decreasing the quality of your breath and making you feel anxious.
Yoga’s primary emphasis is on the mind and body, so it can help relieve stress by bringing you into the present moment. Furthermore, it encourages a mindful approach to thoughts and feelings; letting go of any judgmental labels attached to emotions.
3. Meditation
Meditation can be an effective tool for stress reduction. It involves the act of focusing attention on various ‘anchors,’ such as sounds, sensations in the body, and even visual objects.
As your mindfulness practices develop, it can become a habit that helps reduce stress and promotes peace of mind at any time. Begin with just a few minutes each day, adding more as you experience its benefits.
It can also be an invaluable skill when faced with high-stress scenarios, like traffic jams or work meetings. This type of situation presents its own unique challenges, but interrupting the stress cycle allows for response instead of reaction and allows you to stay in control instead of feeling overwhelmed.
Meditation not only reduces stress, but it has been found to have several other health advantages as well. For instance, it can lower blood pressure, enhance pain management and boost your capacity for self-regulation of emotions.
4. Relaxation Techniques
Relaxation techniques help people achieve a state of calm by activating the body’s “relaxation response,” which is characterized by slowing breathing, lower blood pressure, and a decreased heart rate.
One might achieve this by envisioning a serene scene, such as the beach or mountains, and focusing on different physical sensations such as warmth or heaviness in their limbs or easy breathing. They might also be taught autogenic training – an integrated combination of visual imagery and body awareness that leads to relaxation of mind.
Meditation is another technique to help a person relax. This type of deep relaxation has been known to aid in managing stress, pain and illness.
Meditation is not difficult to master, but it takes practice to experience its full benefits. It may take several sessions before you see results, so expect some ups and downs before settling into a regular routine.
