Mental Health Mondays: 004 Just Breathe

#mentalhealthmondays

I’d like you to do one thing as you are reading this post. Take a deep breath in, and exhale out.

How did that feel? I bet it felt good.

I clearly remember that afternoon I had my first anxiety attack. My heart was racing, I was frozen and my breathing was so shallow and quick. My friend who found me in that state told me to put my head between my knees and just breathe. Boy did that help!

Taking a deep breath, aside from the physical benefit of bringing more oxygen into my bloodstream, body and brain, is also a gentle reminder to slow down, take a moment and feel. It’s a good pause to reorient, reassess the situation and recenter.

Since then, I have used this tool/technique of taking a couple of deep breaths every time I sense that I am feeling stressed or anxious. I sometimes even do guided breathing exercises to help me throughout the week. It doesn’t have to be complicated but in the busyness of our weeks, we need time to slow down, take a breath and feel.

This Monday, I wanted to share that everyone has a mental health story. This is mine and i am sharing a tip that I use to help me manage my physical and emotional health. So take a deep breath, inhale…exhale. It’s going to be all right.

Let’s talk about our stories. Tell me yours.

#mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #therapy #destigmatizementalhealth #anxietyattack #mentalhealthmonday #story #storytelling #seekinghelp #resources #tellyourstory #breathe #tips #tools