How to breathe correctly to calm down and sleep better

Breathing is the basis of life for humans and other living beings. It affects all processes occurring in the body. During the day, a person is exposed to various physical and mental stress. Constant loads lead to disruptions in the functioning of the body - overwork, stress, and the occurrence of various diseases. Therefore, it is very important to learn to relax and relieve muscle, nervous and emotional tension. One of the natural methods of relaxation is proper breathing. What are the benefits of proper breathing, how does it affect the body and what breathing techniques exist?

What breathing is used for relaxation?

All breathing exercises to calm the nervous system of an adult are based on setting the correct rhythm. Because it is important to realize that the effect of breathing exercises on the body comes from the strength and frequency of breaths, their depth, and the duration of the breath pause. If you breathe shallowly, too often, small portions of oxygen will begin to enter the lungs, and the calming effect will not be achieved. Moreover, the nervous system will be activated, which will initiate an increase in its work.

In this regard, any respiratory exercises are based on steady and deep breathing. In this case, the lungs are better filled with air, which leads to the enrichment of all matter in the body with oxygen, as a result of which blood pressure returns to normal, muscle spasms are eliminated, the brain begins to work better, and the nervous system calms down, allowing you to quickly fall asleep at any time.

Proper nutrition

Vitamin B1 is very important for the nervous system. You should eat enough foods containing it.

Normal protein content in food is very important for the state of higher nervous activity. It increases the tone of the central nervous system and accelerates the development of reflexes, improves memory and learning ability. Proteins from chicken, soy, and fish are beneficial for the nervous system. In addition, it is recommended to consume more proteins containing phosphorus. They are found in egg yolks, milk, and caviar.

Fats cannot be excluded from the diet, as they have a tonic effect on the nervous system, improving performance and emotional stability.

Carbohydrates are a source of energy for the brain. Particularly valuable in this regard are the carbohydrates contained in cereals. A decrease in carbohydrate content in the body causes general weakness, drowsiness, memory loss, and headaches.

Vitamins are very important for the function of the nervous system. A lack of vitamin B1 is expressed in weakened memory, attention, irritability, headaches, insomnia, and increased fatigue. It is found in bran bread, peas, beans, buckwheat, oatmeal, liver, kidneys, and egg yolk. Hypovitaminosis B6 is a rare phenomenon, accompanied by weakness, irritability, and gait disturbance. Vitamin B6 is synthesized in the intestines and is found in the liver, kidneys, wholemeal bread, and meat.

Of the microelements, phosphorus will help strengthen the nervous system. It is found in the greatest quantities in cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, caviar, buckwheat and oatmeal, legumes, fish and canned fish. Including these substances in your diet will help strengthen your nervous system.

Basic breathing techniques

There are 4 types of breathing in breathing exercises:

• oxygen saturation of the upper parts of the lungs when inhalations are performed by movements of the collarbones;
• chest breathing, when the ribs open and contract;
• abdominal breathing with the support of the abdominal muscles, due to which the diaphragm begins to work, the internal organs are massaged and oxygenated;
• wave-like breathing method, when the three breathing options described above are used in order.

These breathing techniques are considered basic, and on their basis other breathing methods have been invented that are used to strengthen and calm the nerves.

Daily regime

Daily routine - the distribution in time of various types of activities and rest, meals, spending time in the fresh air, sleep. A proper daily routine improves performance and builds emotional stability. The daily routine is individual for each person and depends on age, profession, health, climatic and other conditions.

Night sleep should last at least 7 hours. The younger the person, the longer the sleep should be, the earlier it should begin. Systematic lack of sleep and insufficiently deep sleep lead to exhaustion of the nervous system: irritability and fatigue appear, appetite worsens, and the functioning of internal organs suffers.

The most beneficial sleep is one that begins no later than 23–24 hours and ends by 7–8 hours. For children and the elderly, an afternoon nap lasting 1–2 hours is recommended. A constant time of going to bed and getting up is important. Before going to bed, it is advisable to take a walk in the fresh air; you should have dinner 2–3 hours before bedtime. It is necessary to create a favorable environment: silence, darkness or twilight, air temperature not higher than 18 - 20˚C, clean air and a comfortable bed.

Rules for performing breathing exercises

When choosing soothing respiratory movements, it is necessary to learn the main techniques for any technique, the violation of which will bring all efforts down the drain:

• Any breathing techniques for relaxing the nervous system should be performed in a lying or standing position, in which the back would be completely straight.
• It is better to conduct classes with your eyes closed, meditating and drawing good pictures and images in your head.
• You need to concentrate entirely on the course of your breathing; at first it will need to be specially controlled. Gradually, the need for deliberate control of inhalation and exhalation will disappear, but it will be necessary, as before, to focus on the breathing process itself.
• The head must be freed from any negative thoughts, and all muscles must be completely relaxed. Muscle relaxation should be carried out smoothly - from the tips of the toes and further up the body, paying special attention to the face, neck and shoulders, where the muscles are most tense.
• Calming exercises should be repeated 5–10 times, but do not overdo it. Before starting the next exercise, you need to wait a little so that the body has time to adapt.
• While inhaling, you need to imagine how the body, along with oxygen, is filled with peace and purified energy. During exhalation, you should imagine how concentrated tension is “squeezed” out of the cells.
• It’s also great to repeat to yourself phrases like “I’m calming down,” “I’m calm,” “I’m relaxing,” etc. during breathing procedures. Similar formulations should not include negative particles “not” or simply negative content (“I’m not worried.” "), and forms of the future tense ("soon I will calm down").

Traditional recipes for strengthening nerves

When treating NS at home, medicinal herbs and infusions help relieve stress and calm the nerves.

To strengthen the nerves, it is recommended to use ready-made soothing teas. You can also brew your own drink from meadowsweet (meadowsweet) at the rate of 2-3 tsp. for 1 glass of boiling water – consume throughout the day.

Lemon tincture

To prepare the tincture you need to take:

• 10 washed and finely chopped lemons (including peel);
• shells from 5 eggs, which are doused with boiling water and then ground in a coffee grinder;
• mix all ingredients and pour 0.5 liters of vodka;
• leave for 5 days;
• drink 2 tbsp. three times a day;
• course of treatment – ​​30 days.

Kvass from elecampane

The ancient Russian drink is an excellent preventive and therapeutic agent that helps with many diseases, incl. and nervous. To prepare honey kvass, you need to take 2.5 liters of boiled water, 50 g of dried and crushed elecampane roots, 500 g of honey and 50 g of yeast. Place everything in a 3-liter jar, close it and put it in a warm place for 2 weeks.

The finished drink is stored in the refrigerator, and you should drink it 0.5 glasses twice a day before meals. The course of treatment is best carried out in spring and autumn.

To improve sleep, treat neurosis or depression, medicinal herbs to strengthen the nerves will help:

1. Mix 4 parts of valerian root, 5 parts each of motherwort, oregano and thyme. Take 2 tbsp. mixture and pour 500 ml of boiling water, leave for 2 hours, filter. You should drink three times a day before meals, starting with 1 tbsp. and gradually increasing to 0.5 cups. The duration of the course is 3-4 weeks, then a break, repeat prophylactically 2-3 times throughout the year.
2. Mix 20 g lemon balm, 20 g St. John's wort, 10 g orange flowers, 5 g rose hips. Take 2 tsp. mixture and brew 100 ml of boiling water, hold under the lid for 10 minutes and filter. Drink three times a day before meals.

To prepare the drink, pour 1 liter of Cahors into a saucepan, add 10 g of cloves and 5 g of cinnamon. 15 g hyssop and 3 tbsp. honey It should be boiled for 5 minutes and then drunk warm. This drink will improve your mood and get out of depression.

The tincture is prepared from 1 tbsp. motherwort herbs and lemon zest, which must be poured with boiling water, left for 3 hours (in an enamel container with a lid), strained. You need to drink 0.5 tbsp. 4 times a day after meals.

To improve sleep, traditional medicine recommends using foot and sitz baths with a decoction of pine needles. You need to take 1.5 kg of pine twigs, chop them finely (with cones too), add 5 liters of water and boil for half an hour. Leave for 10-12 hours, then filter and pour into the bath.

Maintaining calm and self-confidence, the ability to restrain negative emotions and avoid excessive nervousness - such skills strengthen the nervous system and help avoid stress and health complications.

Question: “How can I achieve relaxation of the nervous system if I am constantly “on edge”, what is the best way to choose a sedative? I don’t really trust advertising, so I tried what people on the forum recommended. But so far the results are not good.”

Answer: Of course, you want to protect yourself from unfair advertising. But following other people’s recommendations is also wrong. The human psyche, like his body, has its own unique properties. Even the speed of nervous reactions and metabolism are different among us. What worked for one of your friends or relatives may turn out to be useless and even destructive for you.

Question: “Then you need to undergo a bunch of central nervous system examinations? Or can you somehow choose folk remedies yourself to cope with the problem at home? In the modern pace of life, it’s not really possible to sit in line to see a doctor for days.”

Answer: To understand what is right for you, it is enough to understand the structure of your psyche. What is useful for her, and what, on the contrary, is harmful. The psyche of each of us, on average, is formed by a set of 3-4 vectors (there are 8 in total). Each of them sets its own characteristics: both in how you react to stress and in how it is easier and better to overcome it.

In addition to vitamins, normal brain function requires a complex of microelements. It includes:

• phosphorus is a neuron generator found in cucumbers, beans, eggs, fish, mushrooms, and wheat grains;
• sulfur is a source of oxygen contained in cucumbers, almonds, radishes, garlic, strawberries, and onions;
• zinc is a natural antidepressant extracted by nerve cells from sprouted wheat and bran;
• calcium is a mineral that helps restore nerve cells in muscles; Dairy products, many fruits and vegetables are rich in calcium;
• iron is a substance that ensures the restoration of energy balance; found in mushrooms, fish, apples, green vegetables;
• magnesium is a nerve calmer found in almonds, chocolate, and chicory.

Simple breathing exercises

Initial breathing exercises are based on nasal breathing; they need to start with a deep exhalation, using complex breathing.

• Belly breathing. The abdomen swells during deep inhalation and deflates during slow exhalation. The duration of inhalation is 3-4 seconds, after which you need to pause your breathing for a few seconds, and after 4-5 seconds exhale. The interval between breaths is 2–3 seconds.
• Chest respiration. Inhale - the ribs “open” for 3–4 seconds, after which breathing stops for 2 seconds. Then you exhale, the chest “compresses” for 4–5 seconds. After a 2-3 second break, the work is repeated.
• Clavicular breathing, in which the collarbones rise when inhaling and descend when exhaling. The intervals and duration of the exercise are the same.
• Wave-like breathing, when the inhalation starts from the stomach, then continues through the chest and ends with the collarbones. Exhalation occurs in the opposite direction. The final stage should be carried out especially evenly.

A set of exercises to calm down

There are a number of respiratory exercises that promote relaxation of the nervous system. To achieve the desired result, you need to correctly master their technique and follow all the rules of training.

Abdominal breathing

The most correct method of breathing is not with the chest, as everyone thinks, but with the stomach. Abdominal breathing technique is easy to master:

1. Lie on your back, calm down and place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. With their support, you will control the movements of your tummy and make sure that your chest does not heave.
2. Inhale gradually through your nose. Your belly should expand and your chest should remain relaxed.
3. This is followed by exhalation, during which the stomach is significantly drawn in. The duration of exhalation must be twice as long as inhalation.
4. After exhaling, hold your breath for a couple of moments and return to the exercise. Repeat it 10–20 times.

With both hands you need to check the movements of the abdomen and sternum.

Chest and clavicular breathing

The exercises are performed almost the same as the previous one. Only during inspiration should care be taken to ensure that the stomach is relaxed and the chest rises and falls. Do 10 repetitions. As for clavicular breathing, after finishing the inhalation through the chest, you should inhale a little more air, raising your shoulders and collarbones. After this, exhale and bow your shoulders. Repeat 10 times.

Full breath

The exercise combines all three breathing styles: abdominal, thoracic and clavicular. Full breathing is easy to use, but beginners will need some time to master the technique. To begin, lie on your back, calm down and place your hands on your stomach and chest. Then activate your breathing:

1. Take a long breath through your nose. Your stomach will swell. And the chest must be relaxed.
2. When you have filled your belly, begin to fill your chest.
3. Having filled your chest, swallow another drop of air, raising your shoulders and collarbone.
4. Exhale slowly through your nose. First, you should lower your shoulders, then your chest, and finally pull in your stomach.

In the above exercise, abdominal, thoracic and clavicular breathing are performed in one breath, without exhalation or pause. Before doing the work another 5–7 times, you need to hold your breath for a couple of seconds.

Breathing on a count of 10

This exercise is performed similarly in a lying position. You should breathe gradually and deeply through your nose. And it is not the chest that is required to fill with oxygen, but the stomach. You need to count all your inhalations and exhalations. So, on even numbers you need to inhale, and on odd numbers, exhale. Say the numbers in your head, focusing on each number. Likewise, it is very important to imagine the oxygen that is leaking into your body and coming out. In one cycle you need to count to 10, thereby taking five inhalations and five exhalations. Then pause for a couple of seconds and repeat the circle two or three more times.

Holding your breath

This is a very simple breathing technique that quickly restores strength and calms nerves. You need to take a deep breath, after which you should stop breathing and exhale. The duration of each inhalation, cool down and exhalation is 8 seconds. In this way, one cycle will take you 24 seconds. You need to breathe exclusively through your nose, filling your stomach with air. Repeat the cycle 5-10 times.

Sama vritti

Otherwise, this exercise is called “equal breathing.” This is due to the fact that all 4 phases that make up the exercise are the same in duration. To begin, stand up straight or sit in lotus position. Straighten your back and place your relaxed hands on your knees. Similarly, you can fold your fingers in Jnana mudra. To do this, you should connect your thumb with your index finger, and move the remaining fingers to the side.

Translated from Sanskrit, Jnana mudra means “the mudra of knowledge.”

Then exhale and begin the exercise. Take a deep breath through your nose. Your belly should swell. Then hold your breath, exhale and hold your breath again. Inhalation, exhalation and both cooldowns should last 4 seconds. A full circle is completed in 16 seconds. A total of five cycles are required, but over time their number can be increased to ten.

Increasing Relaxation Technique

This technique is practiced in any comfortable position. The main thing is to straighten your back and relax all your muscles. Imagine your body and start breathing. Take slow, deep breaths in and out through your nose and mentally pause on each part of your body, as if you were breathing in one area or another. Start with your toes and finish the exercise when you reach the top of your head. You need to take 2-3 inhalations and exhalations and transfer to another part of the body. In total, you need to do 5-10 approaches.

Imitation of a yawn

When yawning, the blood is fed with oxygen and gets rid of excess carbon dioxide. In addition, the muscles of the mouth, face and neck tense, which accelerates blood flow in the vessels of the brain. In order to imitate a yawn, you should close your eyes, open your mouth as wide as possible and pronounce the sound “oo-oo-oo.” The lips should be tense. To achieve the greatest effect, you need to stretch your whole body and smile while yawning.

During yawning, ventilation of the lungs occurs and nutrition and blood supply to the brain improves.

Kapalbhati

This is an effective exercise that helps cleanse the nasopharynx and increase blood flow to the abdominal organs. Also, thanks to it, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, headaches disappear, and the abdominal muscles and cardiovascular system are trained. Technique:

1. Sit up straight and place your hands on your knees. The tip of the tongue should touch the palate behind the teeth.
2. Inhale slowly through your nose.
3. Exhale quickly and forcefully. During exhalation, the stomach should inflate.
4. Take a short, natural breath. At the same time, the stomach relaxes.

Thus, it is necessary to alternate quick and active exhalations with short inhalations. Do 15–50 reps. If you start to feel discomfort, then take a break. Subsequently, you can increase the number of cycles to one hundred.

Breathing exercises calm the nervous system and perfectly relieve tension and fatigue. By successfully mastering the correct breathing technique, you can learn to manage your mood and emotions, cope with stress and relax. The main thing is to follow the training rules and read the contraindications.

How to strengthen the nervous system (NS), restore the psyche and calm the nerves?

All these negative factors can cause attacks of irritability, chronic fatigue, forgetfulness and absent-mindedness, sleep disturbances and insomnia. Therefore, it is necessary to learn how to minimize the effect of factors that irritate the nervous system, and the tips below will help.

It should be remembered that the body’s patience and resources have a certain limit, so constant overload can cause physical failure and a nervous breakdown. To avoid this, you need to learn to relax or switch (change the environment, do something pleasant for the soul or go on a hike), i.e. take a periodic vacation.

An important method of preventing diseases of the nervous system is regular physical activity (running, swimming, aerobics, cycling). They increase the body’s performance, promote oxygen saturation of brain cells, and increase stress resistance.

The load should be moderate to help restore the balance of a person’s mental and physical sensations. Walking or outdoor activities, during which you can perform simple exercises, are of great benefit.

There is a list of products that have a positive effect on the psyche and nervous system. Proper nutrition perfectly strengthens the body and helps protect it from stress.

The diet must include the following beneficial substances:

• proteins that are responsible for memory, central nervous system tone and reflexes are found in chicken meat, fish, cottage cheese, soy and nuts;
• fats – help improve performance and stabilize the emotional state (the maximum beneficial amount is found in sea fish);
• carbohydrates are the main source of energy for brain cells, affect the comfortable state of health and the strength of nerves - these are cereal products;
• beneficial vitamins contained in eggs, oatmeal, bran, fresh fruits and vegetables have a positive effect on immunity, memory and intellectual abilities, and their absence increases the risk of developing nervous diseases;
• minerals (magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, etc.) - stimulate the production of substances necessary for the functioning of the central nervous system, found in fish, cereals, vegetables, nuts, chocolate and milk.

When the body lacks beneficial vitamins and minerals, vitamin-containing preparations will help strengthen the nerves and psyche. B vitamins, which strengthen the nervous system and relieve nervous tension (Pentovit), as well as vitamin C, which perfectly improves mood and helps cope with stressful situations, have a positive effect on stress resistance.

Ready-made syrups, tinctures or drops with medicinal herbs are widely used as sedatives: alcohol tinctures of valerian, motherwort, lily of the valley and peony. They have a calming effect on the nervous system, relieve muscle tension and promote rapid sleep.