Nursing

In the mix: Take a break and try some relaxation breathing

Stressed Out Nurses Weekly, May 11, 2009

Relaxation breathing can help people to deal with and reduce stress, anxiety, and pain. It can be used in conjunction with other therapeutic techniques such as guided imagery and meditation. Relaxation breathing is a simple technique that you can initiate in times of stress or immediately following a stressful event such as a patient's cardiac arrest or death.

Here's how you can get started:

  1. Sit comfortably with your eyes closed (in a quiet environment, if possible). Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose as you count (silently), "In, 2, 3, 4." Pay attention to the effects of your breathing. Feel the expansion of your stomach, followed by your rib cage, and then your upper chest.
  2. Exhale slowly through your mouth as you count (silently), "Out, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6." Allow your shoulders to drop a little bit as your upper chest, rib cage, and stomach deflate. In order to help increase the length of exhalation, pretend that you are breathing out through a straw.

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