WEBVTT 00:00:00.270 --> 00:00:03.350 Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another Senior 00:00:03.350 --> 00:00:06.469 Safety Advice Podcast. I'm Esther Cain, a retired 00:00:06.469 --> 00:00:09.509 occupational therapist and currently a certified 00:00:09.509 --> 00:00:12.750 aging in place specialist. So today, sticking 00:00:12.750 --> 00:00:16.250 with this month's theme of Heart Health and Emotional 00:00:16.250 --> 00:00:20.390 Resilience Month, it is February. Today, we're 00:00:20.390 --> 00:00:22.769 going to talk about breathing techniques for 00:00:22.769 --> 00:00:26.289 stress relief. And I want to start by saying 00:00:26.289 --> 00:00:30.710 this. If you're feeling stressed, tense, overwhelmed, 00:00:31.190 --> 00:00:35.090 or just plain worn down, you're not doing anything 00:00:35.090 --> 00:00:39.750 wrong. Your body is doing what bodies do. Stress 00:00:39.750 --> 00:00:43.070 shows up in the breath first. I bet you didn't 00:00:43.070 --> 00:00:46.969 know that. Stress can show up in your breath, 00:00:47.189 --> 00:00:49.710 your shallow breathing, but it can also show 00:00:49.710 --> 00:00:53.969 up in tight shoulders, clenched jaws, painful 00:00:53.969 --> 00:00:58.539 back, all kinds of issues. My husband, who was 00:00:58.539 --> 00:01:00.759 a physician, my late husband, who was a physician 00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:06.180 assistant, used to come home. He worked in family 00:01:06.180 --> 00:01:09.299 practice, and he used to tell me that the majority 00:01:09.299 --> 00:01:11.939 of people who were coming in to see him for physical 00:01:11.939 --> 00:01:14.780 ailments didn't really have physical ailments. 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:19.620 They were just stressed, and I believe it. People 00:01:19.620 --> 00:01:25.079 don't realize that the breath and stress that 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:29.280 can come from that, from not doing it correctly 00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:36.019 or from not practicing, you know, simple exercises 00:01:36.019 --> 00:01:39.560 to calm yourself down can really impact your 00:01:39.560 --> 00:01:42.260 physical body. At the very least that what they 00:01:42.260 --> 00:01:46.680 can do is, you know, exacerbate whatever issues 00:01:46.680 --> 00:01:50.659 you may be having. Breathing, you may not know, 00:01:50.840 --> 00:01:54.579 is one of the fastest ways to calm down the nervous 00:01:54.579 --> 00:01:56.459 system. So we're going to be talking about that 00:01:56.459 --> 00:01:59.579 today because it's amazing. You don't need equipment. 00:01:59.900 --> 00:02:02.340 You don't necessarily need a quiet room, although 00:02:02.340 --> 00:02:04.920 I think it helps. And you don't necessarily need 00:02:04.920 --> 00:02:08.919 to lie down. You just need a few moments of attention. 00:02:09.180 --> 00:02:12.819 And honestly, that's what makes this so freaking 00:02:12.819 --> 00:02:15.840 powerful. I've worked with patients who felt 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:19.120 their stress ease in under a minute after using 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:21.319 these breathing techniques. So we're going to 00:02:21.319 --> 00:02:25.400 be talking about that. Because what happens with 00:02:25.400 --> 00:02:27.539 these breathing techniques is that their body 00:02:27.539 --> 00:02:32.259 finally feels safe. And that's really, really 00:02:32.259 --> 00:02:34.580 what breathing does. It sends a message to your 00:02:34.580 --> 00:02:38.240 body that says, you're okay right now. All right. 00:02:38.699 --> 00:02:40.919 One of the first things that I would teach my 00:02:40.919 --> 00:02:44.180 patients is simply noticing their breath. A lot 00:02:44.180 --> 00:02:46.020 of them would give me a look like, what are you 00:02:46.020 --> 00:02:50.090 talking about? But not many of us take the time 00:02:50.090 --> 00:02:53.650 to sit back and just close our eyes and notice 00:02:53.650 --> 00:02:57.289 our breathing pattern. I'm not talking about 00:02:57.289 --> 00:02:59.789 changing it or controlling it, just noticing 00:02:59.789 --> 00:03:02.430 it. Notice how you're breathing. And where do 00:03:02.430 --> 00:03:04.550 you feel it? Do you feel it in your chest, in 00:03:04.550 --> 00:03:07.870 your shoulders, in your belly? Most stressed 00:03:07.870 --> 00:03:11.509 people breathe high and shallow. That kind of 00:03:11.509 --> 00:03:15.310 breathing keeps the body on alert. So even noticing 00:03:15.530 --> 00:03:18.330 how you're breathing can really create a shift 00:03:18.330 --> 00:03:21.569 because that's when you can begin to change it 00:03:21.569 --> 00:03:24.770 a little. Another simple technique that I love 00:03:24.770 --> 00:03:28.330 is slowing the exhale. You don't necessarily 00:03:28.330 --> 00:03:31.189 have to take a deep breath because honestly that 00:03:31.189 --> 00:03:33.490 can actually feel uncomfortable for some people. 00:03:34.150 --> 00:03:38.229 Instead, breathe in naturally, then breathe out 00:03:38.229 --> 00:03:42.569 a little slower than usual. Longer exhales tell 00:03:42.569 --> 00:03:46.800 the nervous system to relax. I used to often 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:49.620 say something like, let the air leave you like 00:03:49.620 --> 00:03:52.800 you're gently fogging a mirror. I know I've said 00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:55.500 that before in other podcasts, but it's true. 00:03:56.620 --> 00:04:02.000 Soft, slow, and unforced exhaling. Another technique 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:05.360 that works very well is counted breathing. Now, 00:04:05.419 --> 00:04:09.699 nothing fancy. Inhale for a count of three, and 00:04:09.699 --> 00:04:13.139 exhale for a count of five. Now, that longer 00:04:13.139 --> 00:04:16.500 exhale, as I said before, is really the key. 00:04:17.540 --> 00:04:21.079 Now, if counting feels stressful, then yeah, 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:26.100 don't do it. You can just think maybe in and 00:04:26.100 --> 00:04:31.300 out and just drag out the word out. Breathing 00:04:31.300 --> 00:04:34.600 should never feel like work. If it does, then 00:04:34.600 --> 00:04:37.279 ease up, you know, figure out how to do it your 00:04:37.279 --> 00:04:40.860 own way. That's something that I think people 00:04:40.860 --> 00:04:43.399 don't always realize. They try to do exercises 00:04:43.399 --> 00:04:47.839 exactly as they're taught. And that works for 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:51.000 some exercises. You have to do some physical 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:54.180 exercises exactly that way in order for it to 00:04:54.180 --> 00:04:56.939 be productive and in order for it to not hurt 00:04:56.939 --> 00:04:59.600 yourself. But with breathing, it's a little different. 00:04:59.699 --> 00:05:03.500 You can find your own pattern. Another technique 00:05:03.500 --> 00:05:07.490 I use a lot is hand -on -belly breathing. It's 00:05:07.490 --> 00:05:10.829 simple. You place one hand on your chest and 00:05:10.829 --> 00:05:14.350 the other hand on your belly and see if you can 00:05:14.350 --> 00:05:18.689 let the belly move more than your chest while 00:05:18.689 --> 00:05:21.870 you're breathing. This helps to activate the 00:05:21.870 --> 00:05:25.410 calming part of the nervous system and it's especially 00:05:25.410 --> 00:05:27.889 helpful for people who carry a lot of stress 00:05:27.889 --> 00:05:30.949 in their chest. You may not have ever noticed 00:05:30.949 --> 00:05:33.459 that you can breathe like that, you know, your 00:05:33.459 --> 00:05:36.279 stomach coming in and out and how good it can 00:05:36.279 --> 00:05:39.620 actually make you feel. That awareness alone 00:05:39.620 --> 00:05:44.199 can change how safe the body feels. Another breathing 00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:47.660 habit that helps with stress is breathing with 00:05:47.660 --> 00:05:53.199 rhythm. Inhale, pause briefly, exhale, pause 00:05:53.199 --> 00:05:59.959 again. Just a soft rhythm, no forcing. That predicability 00:05:59.959 --> 00:06:03.689 calms the brain. It's especially helpful when 00:06:03.689 --> 00:06:07.569 anxiety feels jittery or scattered. If you've 00:06:07.569 --> 00:06:10.129 ever felt anxiety, you know what I'm talking 00:06:10.129 --> 00:06:14.949 about. And I say this a lot in many of my podcasts, 00:06:15.110 --> 00:06:19.209 but please don't aim for perfection. Breathing 00:06:19.209 --> 00:06:22.790 doesn't have to be done perfectly. If you get 00:06:22.790 --> 00:06:26.410 distracted, that's okay. If your mind wanders, 00:06:26.610 --> 00:06:29.720 that's normal. Just come back to the breath. 00:06:29.879 --> 00:06:33.300 That's enough. If you want to start over or continue, 00:06:33.500 --> 00:06:37.759 it's up to you. Now, another technique that I've 00:06:37.759 --> 00:06:41.319 seen a lot of benefit from is pairing breath 00:06:41.319 --> 00:06:46.720 with movement. Slow breathing while rocking gently. 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:52.220 Slow breathing while walking slowly. slow breathing 00:06:52.220 --> 00:06:54.860 while stretching your arms. That's especially 00:06:54.860 --> 00:06:57.100 good in the mornings. I like to sit at the edge 00:06:57.100 --> 00:07:00.639 of my bed and do that. That's a great way to 00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:05.040 wake up. I think so at least. Movement plus breath 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:07.959 can feel more natural for some people, especially 00:07:07.959 --> 00:07:12.220 if sitting increases your anxiety. It used to 00:07:12.220 --> 00:07:14.639 for my late husband all the time. He had a hard 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:18.180 time just sitting. Another thing I want to mention 00:07:18.180 --> 00:07:22.360 is breathing during stressful moments. Before 00:07:22.360 --> 00:07:25.240 standing up, before answering the phone, before 00:07:25.240 --> 00:07:28.839 opening an email, and, God help us, before turning 00:07:28.839 --> 00:07:31.959 on the news. Just don't watch the news, that 00:07:31.959 --> 00:07:35.600 will eliminate a lot of stress. One slow breath 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:39.459 before action can change how the moment feels. 00:07:40.100 --> 00:07:43.959 It actually creates space, and space reduces 00:07:43.959 --> 00:07:48.540 stress. I've especially seen this work very well, 00:07:48.839 --> 00:07:53.500 family caregivers who often feel overwhelmed 00:07:53.500 --> 00:07:58.459 and completely stressed from their life in general 00:07:58.459 --> 00:08:02.779 at the moment. So one breath before responding 00:08:02.779 --> 00:08:06.560 to anything instead of reacting to something. 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:10.240 That breath protects your nervous system. And 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:13.079 let's be truthful, at the end of the day, that 00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:15.759 protects your health. And we should all know 00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:20.019 by now that chronic stress keeps the body inflamed. 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:22.879 It affects your sleep. It affects your blood 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:25.399 pressure. It affects your heart health. It affects 00:08:25.399 --> 00:08:29.199 your emotional health. Breathing helps interrupt 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:32.740 that cycle. Even short moments matter. You don't 00:08:32.740 --> 00:08:36.779 need a 20, 30 minute session. And you don't necessarily 00:08:36.779 --> 00:08:40.200 need a routine. Although if that helps you, definitely 00:08:40.200 --> 00:08:44.330 do that. You just need a few intentional breaths 00:08:44.330 --> 00:08:47.669 sprinkled throughout the day. It can be three 00:08:47.669 --> 00:08:50.309 every now and then. It can be five every now 00:08:50.309 --> 00:08:54.590 and then. Whatever you can do. And over time, 00:08:54.710 --> 00:08:58.029 believe me, those moments do add up. The body 00:08:58.029 --> 00:09:00.889 learns that it doesn't have to stay on high alert. 00:09:01.250 --> 00:09:04.049 And that's when stress loses some of its grip 00:09:04.049 --> 00:09:07.379 on you. Another thing I noticed a lot when working 00:09:07.379 --> 00:09:09.700 with my patients is that people tend to hold 00:09:09.700 --> 00:09:12.580 their breath without realizing it. I used to 00:09:12.580 --> 00:09:16.299 do that a lot while taking my tests in college. 00:09:17.019 --> 00:09:19.759 During your concentration, during when you're 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:23.679 in pain, during when you're in the midst of worry, 00:09:24.019 --> 00:09:26.200 you tend to hold your breath and you don't even 00:09:26.200 --> 00:09:30.080 know it. If you catch yourself doing that, just 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:34.559 gently exhale. That alone can release tension. 00:09:35.080 --> 00:09:37.379 And here's something that I really want you to 00:09:37.379 --> 00:09:41.259 hear. Breathing is not about fixing yourself, 00:09:41.419 --> 00:09:45.240 it's about supporting yourself. It's a form of 00:09:45.240 --> 00:09:48.620 kindness. It's a way of saying to yourself, I'm 00:09:48.620 --> 00:09:51.940 here, I'm listening, I'm safe enough in this 00:09:51.940 --> 00:09:55.240 moment. And that really matters, not only for 00:09:55.240 --> 00:09:57.440 your physical health, but emotional health as 00:09:57.440 --> 00:10:01.700 well. So if stress feels heavy right now, try 00:10:01.700 --> 00:10:06.289 one slow breath. That's it. Just one. You don't 00:10:06.289 --> 00:10:09.870 need to do more. You can if you want to. Small 00:10:09.870 --> 00:10:12.529 moments of calm build resilience, and resilience 00:10:12.529 --> 00:10:17.370 helps you face whatever comes next. Well, I hope 00:10:17.370 --> 00:10:20.169 that is good for you today. That's all I have 00:10:20.169 --> 00:10:23.309 for you today. I want to thank you again for 00:10:23.309 --> 00:10:26.490 listening, for hanging out till the end. If today's 00:10:26.490 --> 00:10:29.190 episode gave you some useful insights or some 00:10:29.190 --> 00:10:32.039 new ideas, then please share it with someone 00:10:32.039 --> 00:10:35.779 who might find it helpful as well. You can discover 00:10:35.779 --> 00:10:38.620 even more expert tips and helpful guides for 00:10:38.620 --> 00:10:41.100 seniors and caregivers at seniorsafetyadvice 00:10:41.100 --> 00:10:43.639 .com. And if you're searching for an Aging in 00:10:43.639 --> 00:10:45.879 Place specialist, then please visit our website 00:10:45.879 --> 00:10:49.399 at aginginplacedirectory .com. We're working 00:10:49.399 --> 00:10:53.019 hard to get that directory up and running and 00:10:53.019 --> 00:10:56.159 filled up. Come back tomorrow for more useful 00:10:56.159 --> 00:10:59.590 tips, insights, and ideas. right here on the 00:10:59.590 --> 00:11:02.850 Senior Safety Advice Podcast. And hey, if you 00:11:02.850 --> 00:11:05.289 haven't yet subscribed to our YouTube channel 00:11:05.289 --> 00:11:07.769 or the podcast yet, then please go ahead and 00:11:07.769 --> 00:11:10.950 do that right now. That really helps us reach 00:11:10.950 --> 00:11:13.409 more people who could use this kind of support 00:11:13.409 --> 00:11:16.750 and information. So until next time, take care 00:11:16.750 --> 00:11:19.009 of yourself and the ones that you love.