And you don’t even have to do a squat, burpee or a jumping jack.

“A study in Cell Reports Medicine showed that just five minutes of breathwork each day for about a month could improve mood and reduce anxiety,” reports Richard Sima in The Washington Post.

This report further claims that breathwork benefits may be larger than mindfulness meditation using the same amount of time.

A Huge Assist for Speaker Anxiety

One of the most significant issues facing our Speak For Yourself® clients is getting over stage fright. The outcome of this study, helpful in any nerve wracking situation, can apply when you’re giving a speech, on a panel, recording a video …

The Study

Participants: 108 adults, randomly controlled. They did this breathwork at home following video directions.

Activity: Researches compared 3 different 5-minute breathwork exercises. Some were deliberate guided breathing in various ways. Some did mindfulness meditation where participants observed their breathing but did not try to control it.

Results: “After 28 days, participants in both the mindfulness meditation and breathwork groups reported having more positive feelings and fewer negative ones compared with before they began their respective practices.” Both groups reported reduced feelings of anxiety. (WAPO)

“That’s not bad for five min/day,” said David Spiegel, an author of the study. “It seems that practicing some control over your respiration is a kind of entry into one way of controlling your autonomic activity.”

The Accumulation Effect: These positive effects did take time to kick in. The more the participants spent doing this breathwork, the better they felt each successive day.

The ROI for you

When you get anxious you breathe faster. By doing this breathwork you can control and relax your physical state and slow down your breathing.

Can you take a few minutes to control your breathing, connect with your body and encourage it to deal with what you want to deal with… like your upcoming presentation?

Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds. Increase the number of seconds and repeat and repeat.

Are you busy “doing” vs “being”? (OK – rather zen-ish but think about it.)

Breathe.

Photo: by Karen Cortell Reisman @ Barcelona Park Guell

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