Notes from a psychologist 3 / Breathing techniques / Echo of Moscow in Samara broadcast from 02/03/2021 Topic of the broadcast: How to calm down with breathing? Exercises that can help reduce stress levels. Breathing techniques for stress. Presenter: Angelina Segal Below you can watch the video recording of the broadcast, or read the text. Good afternoon, dear listeners! Angelina Segal is with you. We continue the topic “Stress and Anti-Stress”. In previous broadcasts, I talked about stressors and our “fight” and “flight” reactions, which cause muscle tension in the body. I gave an exercise that allows you to productively respond to these muscle tensions in order to relax. You can watch the recording of past broadcasts on my YouTube channel, it’s called “PSYCHOLOGY with Angelina Seagal,” as well as on the radio channel “ECHO OF MOSCOW in Samara.” Today I will give more exercises that can help reduce stress levels. And they are connected with breathing. Breathing is the most important function of the body. We feel the way we breathe. The nature of breathing reflects the emotional state of a person. Thus, a person in a stressful situation is characterized by shallow, rapid or intermittent chest breathing. (show) A person in a state of rest and relaxation is characterized by slow abdominal breathing. It is practically important to know that if you consciously change the type of breathing characteristic of stress to the type of breathing characteristic of a state of rest, a person can change his emotional state. To do this, you need to develop a number of practical skills. The first skill is to learn to continuously observe bodily sensations. In relation to breathing, this is observation of the breathing process itself, its rhythm, as well as physiological sensations. The second skill is to maintain deep abdominal breathing for 15-20 minutes. I give you exercises that you can do on your own in your free time. Now just remember them, they are quite simple. Or watch the broadcast on my YouTube channel “Psychology with Angelina Segal” Exercise “Breathing with the belly”. Abdominal breathing training. Sit comfortably, relax. Start breathing with your belly. Make sure that the chest is practically not involved in breathing. To control, place the palm of your left hand on your chest and your right hand on your stomach. Breathe with your stomach and only your stomach, so that your right palm rises and falls as you inhale/exhale, while your left palm remains motionless. Breathe like this for 3-5 minutes. The second exercise “Conscious Breathing” You can proceed to it immediately after breathing with your stomach. Cover your eyes. Try to really feel your breath. Observe very carefully all the sensations that appear when breathing. Pay attention to how air passes through the respiratory tract: through the nose, nasopharynx, larynx and trachea. Pay attention to whether there is a feeling of obstruction to the passage of air somewhere. Notice the rise and fall of your chest as you inhale and exhale. At the same time, continue to breathe with your stomach. Listen to your breathing, what sound your breath makes, notice where it occurs. And you can find a lot of additional sensations on your own. Such introspection is very useful. Firstly, it switches thoughts and returns to the “here and now”. Secondly, it calms the nervous system. In the next episode I will talk about what automatic thoughts cause us anxiety and what to do about it. Let me remind you that you can find me on social media. networks and on YouTube if you type “Psychology with Angelina Seagal.” Or write to WhatsApp 89171112050About the program The program is broadcast every Wednesday at 18:50 Samara time on the radio "ECHO OF MOSCOW in Samara", at a frequency of 99.14 minutes broadcasts on various psychological topics.©Angelina SegalNormal psychologistAuthor of the channel "PSYCHOLOGY with Angelina Segal"Full member of PPLLeader program "Notes of a Psychologist" at "ECHO OF MOSCOW in Samara"Online consultations: Skype, WhatsApp, Zoom.WhatsApp