Poling Chan, MSW, LCSW

Managing Stress: One breath at a time
by Poling Chan MSW, LCSW
Stress is in fact a primitive response which sets off fire alarm in our body. In a stressful situation, adrenal gland sends out a flood of cortisol, the “stress hormone”, raising our blood pressure, speeding up our heart rate and breathing and quickening our metabolism. While stress mobilizes the fatty tissues for extra fuel, our pupils dilate, our diaphragm locks, large muscles start to gather with increased blood supply, ready for the classic “fight or flight” response. This response is crucial had we encountered a wild animal. However this is not particularly helpful if we have been arguing with our spouse or trapped in traffic jam. Constant exposure to such a “high-powered chemical brew” takes a toll on our body. We become much more likely to suffer from certain physical problems such as headaches, ulcers, heart disease, chronic fatigue, obesity, chronic pain and high blood pressure. Our mental health will inevitably be compromised, leaving us in anger, anxiety and depression. It is also quite common for people who have experienced trauma to be locked up in a chronic state of stress, meaning they almost handle other life circumstances with a stress reaction.

To manage stress, we can easily fantasize being on vacation on a beautiful island, having a full body massage, or smelling nice aroma. While these are wonderful relaxation ideas, breath control has been proven to be one of the most successful techniques in stress management. What I mean here is not about holding your breath, rather it is breathing so that your body learns to contract and expand at your ease. If you have ever watched a baby breathe, you will notice how his or her abdomen is going in and out smoothly. Indeed you are watching the works of the diaphragm muscles. Diaphragm is a sheet-like muscle that separates your chest from your abdomen. Breathing from the diaphragm is the most efficient way of replenishing your body with the oxygen and disposing the carbon dioxide. However, when we are stressed our diaphragm is often pulled up by strenuous work of the chest muscles, shifting our body to the “fight or flight” gear, preventing deep breathing to take place. So it is important to re-orient ourselves to deep breathing which we instinctively know as babies.

Let me walk you through regaining breath control and deep relaxing breathing.
First, find a comfortable chair that you can sit upright, resting your soles on the floor. Begin by noticing your natural breathing patterns, stay neutral as an observer. Avoid getting into a hurry of changing your breathing. When you are ready, place your right palm on your abdominal area, on top of your belly button; then bring your left palm on your chest. Gently close your eyes if that relaxes you. Breathe in through your nose, watch your abdomen rise, allowing it to expand as much as possible; breathe out through your nostrils or mouth, let your abdomen subside slowly and steadily. You will notice that only your right hand moves up and your left stays rather stable. Your attention is on moving the diaphragm and letting your often active chest muscles rest. Continue to practice breathing in this fashion and imagine you are watching the waves rise high and low. Remember to go slowly. If you find yourselves getting uptight or distracted, just gently invite yourself back toward attending your breathing. Once you get a hang of this pattern, you may deepen your breath by holding for a count of three as your inhale and exhale slowly with another count of three. Gradually increase your count to five or six to experience a longer and deeper breath, pulling up and relaxing your diaphragm one count at a time. As you become more familiar with this breathing pattern, you may rest your palms and simply let your diaphragm guide you along.

Breathing exercises have been an integral part of physical and spiritual development in the orient. Deep breathing is often embraced in health practices such as yoga and Taichi, both of which emphasize the connection body and mind.

Make a commitment to breathe deeply, practice this breathing exercise when you rise for your day and before you rest. When a stressful moment is impending or occurring, it is important to retrieve your deep breathing skills to help your body to decompress. You may also rehearse an upcoming challenge by relaxing your breath. It is amazing how breath can restore your sense of balance and harmony. Once again, breathe like a baby.