Intentional Breathing — Give yourself a moment to breathe… And stop holding your breath.

I truly enjoy talking about mental health and being able to shift perspectives, learn knew insights, and broaden my awareness while also seeing the world through the unique lens of my life…

One thing that I have found to be incredibly beneficial for myself throughout the last year of my life and the multitude of changes, both good and bad, has been the inclusion of intentional breathing. We are always breathing, it’s automatic, so then how does one be “intentional” while breathing? Well, it may not seem like much on the surface, but it has certainly helped bring a sense of calm to me with my anxiety and panic attacks that have taken place at home, in public, and with loved ones.

I cannot call it “meditation” as it’s not the same, only a similar component. But quite frankly, it’s a simple concept used intentionally (I have found that the more intentional I can be with my mental health, nutrition, and fitness, then the better my overall life becomes).

Where I’m at in the immediate moment, I will simply close my eyes, become aware of my body or specific spots on my body, and then breathe deeply into the area of focus and exhale (either sharply or deeply, whatever I’m feeling is necessary), and then repeat for 10+ breaths.

Some days I will last for only 10 breaths and other days it will go on for 30–50 (this seems to happen when I am struggling to fall asleep and my mind is racing or I have just gotten out of Atlanta traffic and didn’t realize I was holding my breath the whole time… ahh, Atlanta traffic…). Each time I reconnect with my entire body, or one specific spot, it brings a simple reminder that I’m still here, I’m still breathing, and I will continue to breathe through whatever life has in store for me.

You can do this, too.

Intentional Breathing Checklist
Step 1: Stop whatever you’re doing and hold still (when you are able to, of course).
Step 2: Check in with your body. Are you holding your shoulders up? Is your chest feeling tight? Why is there a pain in your lower back? Check. In.
Step 3: Take a deep breath into that area. Fill it up. Bigger. Now, let it go. Do it again. Take a deeper breath. Exhale more sharply or try a long slow, smooth exhale. Feel (and breathe) it out. This connects you more with what your body and mind may need in this moment.
Step 4: Repeat Steps 2 & 3 until you are reconnected and relaxed.

Our bodies are made to survive so they will survive with or without our consciousness. When we can actively check in with our bodies and become more aware of ourselves, then we will be able to reconnect our mind and body, and give ourselves what we might need.

Be more intentional with yourself.

In my previous article, I mentioned that lazy work produces lazy results (which one could claim are better than no results…). This doesn’t mean you can’t relax (goodness, we all could be better at relaxing), but be more intentional with yourself and you will achieve more intentional results.

You don’t always have to be working on yourself…
Sometimes, you just need to breathe.

So, go ahead and stop what you’re doing. Stop reading this article. Unclench your jaw. Let your shoulders fall. Release the tension in your legs.
And just breathe…

To your sustainable health,
Tyler Buckingham