Get tips and advice on how to use breathing exercises to help manage depression.
If you're struggling with depression, you know it can be a difficult and isolating experience, you feel like you are drowning while everyone around you is breathing. But there is hope! Breathing exercises are increasingly an effective tool to help manage the symptoms of depression. At Just Breathe, we look at what depression is, the benefits of breathing exercises for mental health, and tips and mental health classes, at our New Zealand mindfulness retreats, on how to get started using them. So if you're looking for an alternative way to take control of your mental well-being, read on.
Depression is a mood disorder characterized by feelings of sadness and hopelessness that can last for weeks or months. It affects both the body and mind and can make it difficult to function in everyday life. Symptoms of depression include difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, low energy levels, lack of motivation, and feelings of worthlessness.
Breathing exercises are an effective way to reduce stress and help manage the symptoms of depression. They involve focusing on your breath and learning how to control it so that you can relax your body and mind. This can be done either by taking deep breaths or by doing specific breathing exercises such as alternate nostril breathing or 4-7-8 breathing. Here are a few breathing tips:
Finally, be patient – like anything else, mastering breathing exercises takes practice, so don’t expect results right away. Stick with it and you will eventually start to see the benefits!
"Conscious breathing is the best antidote to stress, anxiety and depression." Amit Ray