There are small actions you can take – even while on the job – that will help you breathe better.

Why it matters.

Good quality breathing is free medicine. It gives free maintenance to your body.

• You take about 670 million breaths in your lifetime; science shows that each breath really matters.
• Breathing well impacts your overall health and every part of your body’s ability to function.
• Inhaling tops up the oxygen in your body and relaxes your muscles. Exhaling deep breaths ‘takes out the rubbish’ from your body when you are not sleeping.
• Controlling your breathing can slow your heart rate, calm your thoughts, and focus your thinking.  Three deep breaths releases stress from your body. Read more here

What should I do?

• Take 3 deep breaths hourly – schedule it.
• Breathe through your nose – practice it.
• Slow your breathing – practice it.
• Quit smoking.

How should I do it?

Take 3 deep breaths hourly – schedule it to help you remember and set reminders on your phone.

• When you take deep breaths, first breathe into your belly, then push out your ribcage with your breath and finally fill the tops of your lungs by letting your shoulders rise a little.
• Breathe in through your nose as you count slowly to 4 – fill your lungs until you cannot fill anymore. Hold for 4. Breathe out through your nose as you count slowly to 4 – squeeze your lungs empty starting at the top near your shoulders, then your ribs and finally with your belly until you cannot empty anymore. Repeat.

Learn about breathing techniques to help reduce stress here

Breathe through your nose – practice it daily until it becomes a habit.

• Breathe through your nose to make breathing easier. The more you do the easier it gets.
• Breathe through your nose to clean, heat and moisten air so your lungs can top up the oxygen in your body more easily.
• Breathe in through your nose and back out through your nose.

Listen to a podcast episode here

Slow your breathing – practice it for 2 minutes daily, more if you can.

• Aim for 6 breaths per minute (1 breath = air in and out).

Quit smoking.

• Phone 13 QUIT (13 78 48) or text ‘call back’.
• Make a quit plan

 

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