Alison Wem

Relaxation: learn to breath deeply and consciously

Mindfulness is a commonly used term these days. However it is true that breathing consciously or just being still brings calmness which enhances your concentration, lowers blood pressure and aids sleep quality. All are good for enhancing your performance at work and improves your well-being.

The simplest way to induce stillness is to take deep breaths.

I work at home on my own. It can be hard to keep my boundaries between home and work life. Each day I go for a walk, preferably in the park. Today I tried conscious breathing to see if it improved me living in the moment and finding happiness in that moment. It is a simple exercise;

Take a deep breath in – say ‘In’.
Breath out – say ‘Out’.

Repeat this at least 3 times. As you breath in, your mind and body becomes peaceful. As you breath out, all that you do not want leaves you, it may be frustration, upset, boredom.

Recently I have found that when I go for my walk I am thinking about all the things I need to get done, my back is bowed and I am looking at the ground. This is not good for me. Today I did this exercise in the park with people walking around me with some surprising results.

I was standing amongst some trees and I noticed the brown, dry autumn leaves on the ground. A rather fat squirrel was running towards me. I suspect he had got used to being fed by humans. When I did not offer anything, he ran off. Two big, black crows were looking amongst the leaves for grubs. Suddenly they took to their wings and flew to the tree tops. My eyes followed them. I noticed a green parakeet, you increasingly see them as they have escaped captivity. They add a splash of colour to our parks. Then I noticed the clouds scudding across the sky and heard the cry of sea gulls. It must be stormy at sea and they have moved inland. As the crow flies, London is really not far from the sea.

All of this happened in a matter of a few minutes. I felt calm, contented and happy. For this precious time, I had left my worries behind. Afterwards I felt both relaxed and energised. A good way to start my afternoon.

The exercise is simple, can be done anywhere and gives great benefits. Try to repeat it everyday at the same time to make it a habit. When I was in a stressful corporate job I did this exercise after my drive to work before I went into the office. I started my day … feeling calm and competent.