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When you exhale for longer than you inhale it will invite in the parasympathetic nervous system also known as rest and digest . You can also use box breathing to relax and ground . Begin breathing in a count of 4 , hold a count of 4 , breathing out a count of 4 , and hold a count of 4 before breathing in again with the pattern .
I invite you to take a moment now and connect to your breath and commit to connecting to your breath throughout the day .
2 . Connect to your body .
Your body holds so much information about how stress is currently impacting you . Tuning into your body , listening to its wisdom , and then making a choice to move your body can transform stress hormones into relaxation and joy . You can choose to take a walk , turn on music and dance , stretch , practice yoga , or simply shake your body to release stress hormones and regulate your nervous system . Commit to connecting to your body and moving it regularly to shift your mood and nourish your nervous system .
3 . Connect to the present moment through a mindful pause .
Begin a practice of pausing throughout the day to check in with yourself to nourish your nervous system . The scary thing about chronic stress is how easily it can creep up on you and become normal .
Over time you no longer notice how impactful stress has become . When you cultivate mindful pauses in your day like with the STOP practice : Stop , Take a breath , Observe and Proceed , you will develop more self-awareness .
Over time this practice will empower you to notice when your nervous system is dysregulated and encourage you to make intentional choices to settle it . Taking mindful pauses will nourish your nervous system and support you in bringing your loving attention to yourself .
HEALTH & WELLNESS
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