Dear MEL Topic Readers,
How one of the 'most powerful hacks' to control stress actually works
We feel nervous or stressed from time to time, like before a job interview
or big presentation, or when a loved one is in trouble or danger. One technique
to ease such mental stress is box breathing, a deep-breathing method that can
help calm and regulate your autonomic nervous system, including blood pressure,
sense of calm, and stress. Box breathing consists of four equal-period steps: inhale
slowly through your nose to a slow count of four, hold the breath and count
four, breathe out slowly through your mouth for a count of four, and hold your
lungs empty for another four count. Then restart the cycle as many times
as you want. This practice trains you to get used to various levels of carbon
dioxide in the blood and brain, and helps you to improve your stress resilience.
It takes only about 16 seconds to practice one box breathing cycle, and you can
do it almost anytime, anywhere, and as many times as you want. If you still
wonder if it works for you, try counting to four while inhaling through your
nose.
Read the article and learn about the four-step, four-count box
breathing.
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