Stress Relief & Management: Try This Simple Technique

Feeling jaded and all burnt out from work? You'd be surprised to know that there is one simple technique everyone can afford anytime and anywhere. And, the procedure is so simple it is nothing you have not done all your life or are not doing repetitiously every single minute of your day.

"By training ourselves to breathe properly and leverage the power of our respiration, we can reverse the negative physiological responses that dampen our holiday spirit," wrote CNN. "Better breathing also reduces physical tension, promotes mindfulness, and helps us rest -- all useful in decreasing the impact of holiday stress."

The difference between this form of breathing as compared to what we normally do as adults for about 23,000 times a day is that our normal breathing consists mostly of short and shallow ones that just reach the chest, the Telegraph noted.

These are called "stress breaths" according to Rebecca Dennis from the Breathing Tree, a self-help course and series of workshops and retreats that teaches better breathing for the stressed-out and beehive-brained among us.

"If we just breathe better, everything else will fall into place. And what's great about proper, deep breathing is that it's free, easy, you can do it anywhere, and it improves everything from your stress levels to your heart health and digestion. Plus, it makes you more energized and productive - and it's anti-ageing, too," Rebecca said.

She also cited how we could learn from babies with their big, beautiful, connective breaths that fill their bellies with air causing it to expand, and then flatten when they breathe out. Here are some simple steps for breathing your way out of stress courtesy of WebMD. Sit in a comfortable, not-too-soft chair that lets you keep your back straight and your feet flat on the floor, then put your hands gently on your belly, right below your ribcage.

• Expand your belly, drawing breath in through your nose. When you do this right, you'll feel your hands move slightly.

• Don't hold your breath. Open your mouth a little. Slowly let your belly contract, gently pushing your breath out your mouth.

• Repeat this for a few minutes. Try not to think of anything in particular. If thoughts wander into your mind, let them wander back out. Don't try to push the stress out of your body -- just let it go.

• Practice this for several minutes each day. Work up to about five or 10 minutes at a sitting. Do this once a day. If something is stressing you out, do a few minutes of this deep breathing until you feel calm.