It's an expression we've heard, and it has meaning beyond the words. It's comparable to “chill” or “Whoa!” or “Hey, back up”. Unfortunately, I was the recipient of that phrase because I really needed to “take a break”. Today, I'm referencing the actual words and the advice they offer. Lots of you folks are experts at feeling crappy, and all with good reason. We've gone through stuff; some of us are still going through it. Most of us work at it to feel better ourselves and to help others feel better. Where's the dopamine? Where's the serotonin? Why the anxiety and depression? Why not?
Take a deep breath. Then take another and maybe a few more. Do it a few times every day. Really deep. Google “Breathing Exercises” and follow the suggestions. It may be all in my head, but I feel considerably better if I follow this regimen. I walk a couple of miles about 5 days a week, and that helps my body, but the breathing seems to help my emotional status. Who knows? Maybe the extra oxygen in the blood helps the neurotransmitters work better. Hey, it's free if we use our breath, and it's worth a try.
Mike
Hello Mike. I'm a firm believer in the benefits of deep, controlled breathing. The lungs are one of our major lifelines and provide the oxegen that we need to have a healthy life. They are also muscles which need regular exercise if they are to stay healthy and extending them by deep breathing is an obvious way to achieve optimum performance. Air is, as you say, free and readily available. Unfortunately, as with most things on the planet, humans have managed to pollute the air so significantly that the majority of the human race would be well-advised to take measures to filter and purify it before breathing it in. My recent heart attack and consequent bypass surgery seems to have been a direct result of air pollution from the busy road on which we live. I have to admit that I did not give it much thought before the crisis of a major heart attack, but now I can appreciate the sense in pushing for clean air to breath rather than exhaust fumes from vehicles, chimneys and other polluting sources. One of the problems with the pollution in modern societies is that the polluters do not have to pay for the consequences of their actions. If they did, then they might need to think twice about the costs rather than passing these costs of their actions onto the rest of the population who do not have the power or influence to stop the damage being caused.
The current advice is to do your walking in the countryside rather than along polluted roads and to purchase air purifiers for the home. My feeling is that the problems should be resolved at source rather than putting the onus on the victims to find their own personal solutions to someone elses pollution.
Just a thought!
Best wishes
Bill
Another thing that I find helpful in emotional crisis, is take time to be grateful for all that you have, and all that you have succeeded in, not easy at the time but works for me!
Hi Everyone. I agree that taking a deep breathe is so important to our well being. We take breathing for granted. It's a subconscious thing we do, until we can't. In hospital 2 yrs ago Dr said my only job was to breathe in my own. What a scary thing to realize I wasn't. When they told me to breathe, my brain (I thought) suddenly forgot how! I panicked. Today, thankfully my heart and lungs are doing well and I did learn to breathe on my own again. Lately I have been using an app for meditation. Some are guided, some not, some with just nature sounds others music, etc. I have found it to be very relaxing and has even improved my lung capacity! There are many out there
Hey Pirrip, thanks for your kind reply. Your suggestion to be grateful for all the good stuff is something I do on a daily basis. Sure, there are some crappy days but we can be thankful we survived them and maybe figured a way of preventing a recurrence. I never want to take any good things for granted and breathing deeply while having these thoughts might be doubly beneficial.
With gratitude,
Mike
Hi Bill. It is so good to hear you're doing so well after the not so good heart stuff.
Your reference to absence of responsibility of the polluters is so on spot. In our country it seems like it's all about money and if the laws allow short cuts that cause black lung disease in nine-year-olds, too bad.
I truly appreciate your thought and will remember while sucking in the ocean air at the Jersey shore.
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Morning glory and Fountainrest. I attempted meditation a couple times with little success. I find it difficult to slow down, clear my head and do the things necessary to make it work. My head is too full of too much junk, just trying to sort it all out is exhausting but I do want to give it a try again.
Forgetting how to breath is one of the scariest things I ever heard of. So happy that's no longer an issue.
Respectfully,
Mike
