The breath can be your super-power

Breathing in and breathing out; it’s something we do over 20,000 times a day, most of the time, without even thinking about it. However, the impact of getting such a simple thing wrong can lead to many potentially devastating physical and psychological problems, such as:

• Compromised immunity
• Brain fog
• Pain and tension
• Inflammation
• Low energy
• Blood pressure
• Digestive problems
• Diabetes
• Sleep issues
• Panic attacks
• Generalised anxiety and overwhelm
• Anger management issues
• Low or unstable mood
• Being forgetful
• Trouble concentrating
• Addictive behaviours

Stress and hormones

Adrenaline is a hormone that rushes around the body when we become excited, frightened or angry. Our caveman ancestors would have relied on this?‘fight or flight’ system?for their survival. It gave them instant energy to either strike out or run away, which could save their lives. ?

The physical signs of adrenaline can feel a bit scary if you don’t understand what’s going on but, if you do experience them, they need to be seen as a reassuring sign that your emergency systems are working as they should and will be there if and when you ever really need them. ?

So what does adrenaline actually do to the body??

The fight or flight response?

·??????Your brain thinks there is a dangerous situation and presses the panic button, sending fight or flight signals around the body ?

·??????Adrenaline then pumps into the blood stream, raising blood pressure and speeding up breathing in anticipation of action of some kind, whether that’s to fight or just to run away as fast as possible?

·??????Blood is moved away from the digestive system into the arms and legs which may shake as they prepare to fight or run ?

·??????The urge to be sick or defecate ensures you smell like bad meat which might actually put off a chasing animal ?

·??????Pupils dilate to allow in more visual information?

These reactions are all very well if you really are being chased by a wild animal but why do people experience all of this when they are actually in the kind of safe, modern environment most of us are lucky to live in these days??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

A rush of adrenaline is great if you need to run away from a wilder beast or, more likely these days, jump out of the way of an oncoming bus but, once your fight or flight system has saved your life, it’s designed to settle back down so you can calmly get on with your day to day activities in the usual way.?

However the human body hasn’t yet evolved enough to tell the difference between an actual threat and something you’re vividly imagining so, if you are constantly feeling worried, angry, frustrated or nervous in your daily life an ongoing or ‘chronic’ stress response can build up and the fight or flight system never really settles back down.?

Here are some of the most common signs and symptoms produced by chronic stress according the the NHS. It’s quite a list:?

Physical symptoms

• headaches or dizziness
• muscle tension or pain
• stomach problems
• chest pain or a faster heartbeat

Mental symptoms

• difficulty concentrating
• struggling to make decisions
• feeling overwhelmed
• constantly worrying
• being forgetful

Changes in behaviour

• being irritable and snappy
• sleeping too much or too little
• eating too much or too little
• avoiding certain places or people
• drinking or smoking more

Ways to tackle stress

Not surprisingly people try to manage chronic stress in a variety of ways, many of which are not helpful and probably the most damaging thing you can do is turn to something unhealthy to help you cope, like smoking or drinking or using drugs and sleeping pills.

The real key to good stress management lies in building emotional strength by taking?control of your situation, having a good social network and adopting a positive and proactive outlook on life.?If you think you might be chronically stressed, you could benefit from making some practical life changes.

Get active?

Exercise will reduce emotional intensity by using up your adrenaline for what it was intended for; movement. For practical advice from the NHS, read?how being active helps mental wellbeing.

Connect ?

Having a good support network can?really help. If we can have a laugh and a joke with friends and family, that is an excellent stress reliever in itself and talking things through with someone else can also help find solutions to problems.

Accept the things you can't change?

Let’s face it, changing a difficult situation or how another person behaves isn't always possible. Try to focus instead on the things you do have control over and remember the ancient Buddhist meditation:

Grant me the?serenity?to accept the things I cannot change;

The courage to change the things I can;

And the wisdom to know the difference

Change your breath, change your life

In?Breathe Stress Away?I demonstrate a powerful breathing technique that will improve all of these health issues. It’s the best stress buster I know and, practised daily for even just a few minutes, could change your health for the better forever.

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