Benefits of daily practice; tips for starting today!

Some days it can feel like stressed is the new normal.
Of course, some amount of life stress is normal, and necessary to keep us going. But during times of change and uncertainty, it’s easy for stress levels to ramp up, leaving you anxious and distracted. And thanks to the way our brains work, stress often leads to predicting negative outcomes, ramping up anxiety levels even further.
Instead of trying to suppress or stop your anxiety-driven thoughts, it’s more effective to take steps to reduce your anxiety levels in the first place. The breathing techniques I teach are effective in noticing the stress response before it starts, and in downregulating the emotions before they trigger the reaction you want to avoid.
These practices, which are rooted in mindfulness, actually create changes in the structure of your brain.
More benefits of a daily breath-based stress reduction practice:
- Increases self-awareness and emotional regulation
- Grounds you in calm
- Provides space to check in with your priorities
- Allows you to check in with your body
- Energizes you by boosting oxygen levels
This may not be news to you. When I talk with clients about establishing a consistent morning practice most say they don’t have time! This is why it’s important to break down that urge to keep postponing until you have the time or the space or the know-how.
Top tips for a daily stress reduction practice
- Start small, 5 minutes is enough to start with!
- Daily over sporadic; this is key!!
- Scheduling the same time in your calendar every day will help you to make it a habit
- Don’t let a miss or two through you off track
- Find the practices you enjoy most!
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