CHANGE HOW YOU BREATHE TO BANISH YOUR STRESS

MANY of us walkaround fired up from stress all day long, and then can’t turn off that switch when it’s time to go to sleep at night.

As a result, our sleep suffers, leading to more stress, less sleep and on it goes. So we end up exhausted but unable to relax. But you won’t find the solution in the bottom of a bottle. Instead, the (side effect-free) answer to your problem is in your own head.

Meditation and breath work are two of the most effective tools we have when it comes to actively turning off the stress response and turning on the relaxation response.

Changing how you breathe and where you’re focusing your mind can physically reprogram the brain via the vagus nerve, which connects the brain and the body. Just as a tense body and short, shallow breaths can trigger the brain into thinking it’s in trouble, a calm body and deep, slow breaths do just the opposite.

It tells the brain that we’re safe, and calls forth the release of GABA, an antianxiety neurotransmitter that promotes a sense of serenity and ease.

In addition to promoting the kind of adaptability and resilience that are necessary if you’re going to be able to handle the endless waves of stress that life will bring, meditation and breath work give your brain a workout, improving attention, memory, processing speed and creativity. They may also counteract age-related atrophying that can lead to cognitive conditions such as dementia. But most notably, for our purposes, the benefits are:

■ MEDITATION and breath work decrease blood pressure and decrease stress and anxiety, basically ‘priming the pump’ for easier sleep onset.

■ THEY have been shown to increase sleep time, improve sleep quality and make it easier to fall (and stay) asleep, mostly because they reduce hyperarousal in the brain.

■ THEY create physiological changes like early phases of sleep: a slowed pulse, lowered blood pressure and decreased stress hormones.

■ THEY have been found to be as effective as a prescription drug in some individuals with insomnia.

■ THEY can be used with other sleep techniques such as cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) — shown to improve sleep better than CBT-I alone.

Take 15 minutes out

AIM for a minimum of ten to 15 minutes a day. No month-long retreat is required to reap the benefits. If you are on a walk or in a park, spend 15 minutes of that time relaxing into that space. Take your shoes off if you can and take in your surroundings. Take ten deep breaths, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.

After a few more breaths, let your feet become more sensitive to what they are touching — grass, rocks, sand. Feel where your weight is. Maybe it is more over your heels. Maybe you are leaning forward slightly. Notice how your body feels. What feels sticky, tired, achy? Which parts feel loose and easy? Take five more breaths, direct them to the sticky places.

If your hips feel tight, inhale, picture the breath travelling down into the hips, then exhale, picturing the tension and pain streaming out of the hip socket.

Likewise, if your shoulders feel as if they are rolled forward, inhale, bringing the breath into the shoulder socket and exhale, imagining the shoulders easing back into their sockets, shoulder blades sliding down the back.

Begin walking again, and for the rest of the time, take in every detail of your surroundings and how it makes you feel. Look at the bark on trees, stones in the sand, a spider’s web, a flower, the shape of seaweed, the shape of your footprint, the length of your stride. Become sensitive to where the air meets your skin — maybe on your face and hands. Notice how you feel. Maybe your breath is easier, you are more relaxed or feel more connected.

Your body’s rhythm

OBSERVE your circadian rhythm when choosing when and how to meditate. While most meditation styles feel relaxing, as you hone your practice, many approaches to mindfulness are meant to create a sharp, alert mind.

True meditation (not just deep breathing exercises) is best done in the morning or at a few hours before bed. There are also mindfulness and breathing practices to help you tune out and drift to sleep (there are some on the left). Both methods will help you sleep better at night. Be sure to pick the practice that fits the time of day you intend to meditate.

Find your own style

FIND a style that works for you. There are many meditation techniques, styles and philosophies (Transcendental, Kundalini, Vedic, Zen Buddhist, to name a few). Shop around, try a few, and see what works for you. Many meditations focus and energise the mind, making them better suited for earlier in the day but they still support your journey toward sleep. They completely relax the body, returning it to an even-keeled baseline. That ultimately helps keep your sympathetic nervous system and cortisol levels in check, making it easier to fall asleep at night.

Smart guidance

EXPLORE smartphone apps such as Headspace, Calm, Aura, Insight Timer and Ten Percent Happier for some personalised, inexpensive guidance.