A new staple practice for me... breathing.
Breath work can directly combat stress, reduce blood pressure, increase energy levels, boost your immune system, increase self-awareness, and more.
There are three key occasions where I find breath work particularly beneficial:
1. In the morning to ground yourself before the day to come
2. At night to help you wind down
3. On the go to centre yourself, specifically in moments where you are stressed or overwhelmed
There are two practices that my clients and I perform, and they go a little something like this...
4-7-8: Breath in through your nose for 4, hold for 7, exhale out your mouth for 8. Repeat 5-10 times.
One last push (pull): Take a full inhale through your nose, and once you feel like you're "full", take one short sharp extra inhale (again through your nose) before taking a full exhale out of your mouth. Repeat 5-10 times.
Simple.
This last practice in particular inflates the villi in your lungs and reduces feelings of stress and overwhelm - and is a recommended practice of neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman.