Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Breathing Techniques For Improving Stress And Cognitive Function For ADHD

Suffering from headaches, problem concentrating, anxiety?  If you have adhd or learning disabilities, these feeling would most probably be magnified compared to those who doesn't have the same conditions.  Though there are no guarantee, but changing the way you breathe might spell relief from the constant irritation and improve the quality of your life.

When there is a perceived threat, our heart rate, breathing and blood flow will increase.  A little stress is good but if it persists for long term the results are anxiety, depression, inability to focus, and a host of other problems.  Since our minds are occupied most of the time, breathing is regulated subconsciously by the respiratory control centers.  Our minds can be trained to over-ride the rhythms generated by these centers. By changing the rate you at which you breathe, you send a message to the brain.  I am not being threatened.

People can break the stress cycle by practicing the four easy steps.  First, stop what you are doing.  Second, breathe using your stomach (belly breathing) with a few deep breaths, allowing your stomach to expand with air.  Do away the shallow chest breathing style that most of us do normally.  It is recommended that you inhale through the nose by counting one to four and exhale through the mouth with a reverse count of four to one.

Third, consider the cause of your stress, check your reaction to problem, instead of seething about it go to step four and rectify the problem with a viable solution.  E.g. If you are having difficulty understanding a passage, try to speed read ( at a pace comfortable to you) the whole chapter, you will find that give you a clearer picture.  You can check for words as well as improved on your comprehension the second time around.  For more information on ADHD/ Learning disabilities click here.  Note: The first and second steps are sufficient to relax to a certain stage.  Doing the third and fourth steps will further elevate the symptoms and provide a more lasting solution to your problem.

Infants belly breathes automatically, by the time they are eight or ten they become chest breathers because of the "fight or flight response".  You will have a body that perceives itself to be in stress all the time because you are chest breathing all the time.  Think about the fact that you are over stressing your system over a lifetime. A good breathing technique benefits anyone who is under stress regardless whether they have ADHD/ Learning Disabilities or not.

When you breathe slowly, smoothly, and evenly, your mind cannot generate enough thoughts to support the upset whether it's fear, frustration, anger or anxiety.  If you are not breathing properly, your form is probably going to be off.  So it pays to put in a little effort to get it right and reap the benefits.  Make "Belly Breathing" a norm.  It helps to reduce stress.

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