Ways to fight stress: Deep breathing as a relaxation technique

One of the easiest ways to reverse the body’s stress response is deep breathing. You can practice this technique anywhere: at home, at work, and even on public transit. Doing this exercise for 5 to 30 minutes can make you feel better.
Here’s a quick and easy breathing technique:

Sit up straight, close your eyes, and put one hand on your chest and the other hand on your stomach. Focus on your breathing. Take a slow breath through your nose and feel the air move through your body. You can also try inhaling through your mouth. Exhale slowly, and repeat.

Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to the brain and stimulates the nervous system, causing your body to naturally relax. As respiration slows down, blood pressure decreases.