This may seem like a very silly question. Of course I’m breathing, Hadass, you say. I’m alive, aren’t I? *checks just to make sure*. Yes, of course you are breathing, bringing oxygen into your lungs and clearing out the carbon dioxide, but what else has your breathing done for you lately?

Conscious breathing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to affect the stress levels in your body and mind. When we are agitated, our breathing tends to become shallow and quick – the fight or flight response is getting us ready for action. Stress hormones pour through us, we become tense and alert, and our muscles are ready to go. Action time!

This is very helpful if you happen to have noticed a sabre-tooth tiger approaching your desk, no doubt. But in our modern day of chronic stress, this reaction is a major source of the illnesses that plague us and shorten our lives. What can we do about it? Start by just breathing.

The simplest calming breath we can use is the belly breath – just become conscious of your belly rising and falling when you breathe (you can put your hand on your abdomen if you aren’t sure where that is happening). Slow it all down. Breathe in deeply through your nose and out through your mouth. Just feel that belly rise and fall. You’ll find that you are already feeling less stressed and nervous, just by doing that.

There are many more breathing techniques, of course, but that’s a really good start if you find yourself often stressed and agitated. I’d love to know how it worked for you!