IF YOU DO ONE THING TODAY... LEARN TO BREATHE

WE ALL get a stiff neck sometimes. Cold weather and poor posture can often contribute. But believe it or not, the way you breathe might be adding to neck stiffness.

Stress and increased anxiety can lead to what is called ‘mouth breathing’ – shallow, rapid breaths from the upper chest, as opposed to normal, calm breathing which comes from the lower chest and diaphragm. This can result in stiffness in the muscles around the neck and shoulders. You need to relearn how to breathe. Practise this at home rather than in the office if you want to avoid strange looks from colleagues!

Lie flat on the floor and place your feet against a wall or on a chair so that your knees are bent at 90 degrees.

Take a nice long breath in through your nose for between three and five seconds.

During this breath, allow the belly to fill up and expand with as much air as is comfortable. This may feel unnatural at first.

Exhale through pursed lips for roughly five to seven seconds. When you’re exhaling, imagine that you are trying to blow up a balloon.

When you run out of air, keep blowing out for an extra one or two seconds. You should feel your tummy really tighten.

This is good.

Repeat this cycle ten to 15 times.

Take a short rest of a minute or so, and then start again.

You should aim for two or three sets.

At first, this will seem quite hard. Be patient and allow yourself time to get into it. You will know when you get it right as you will feel your tummy and chest begin to fill up with more air as well as breaths feeling more efficient. Once the diaphragm starts working properly again, this will take pressure off the neck and shoulders, as well as leaving you feeling substantially more relaxed.