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The dynamic pair: Stress buster for sure
8 Plays3 months ago
Welcome to this week's episode as I talk about these dynamic duo. I share the importance of movement and breathing to deal with stress.
Thanks for listening.
Stay safe.
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Transcript
Introduction and Passion for Breathing
00:00:02
Toni Gonzalez
Yes, this is the
00:00:42
Toni Gonzalez
Hello friends.
Disruptive News and February Plans
00:00:44
Toni Gonzalez
Welcome back to this week's episode where I'm talking about, you know, something that I'm really passionate about and that's breathing.
00:00:53
Toni Gonzalez
I want to come in and before I get into it, talk about how I had a plan for February and each month I like to go through 21 days,
00:01:09
Toni Gonzalez
twenty eight days of a tip go to help you and to also remind you about self-care and things like that.
00:01:22
Toni Gonzalez
But that came to a halt due to some really terrible news that I received in my family.
Challenges in Positivity and Self-care
00:01:32
Toni Gonzalez
And as quickly as life changed, everything everything is blurry and it's difficult to deal with.
00:01:46
Toni Gonzalez
and And I just like to be transparent and just admit that not all, not everything is, i don't even know how to say it, but it's not easy.
00:02:01
Toni Gonzalez
And it definitely makes it harder for me to talk about self-care, stress, because it's overwhelmingly sad.
00:02:13
Toni Gonzalez
But I am not going to stop sharing tips with you and coming up with ways that we can deal with with everything to include work stress, personal stress, and things like that.
Coping through Breath and Movement
00:02:28
Toni Gonzalez
So though it's difficult, and I had to come in and talk on inta tell everyone on Instagram that it's going to be a sporadic 28 days and that it's not consistent, I also wanted to come in here and tell you about that.
00:02:43
Toni Gonzalez
So with that, i just want to
00:02:48
Toni Gonzalez
share with you how I've been getting through very difficult days, and that is through breath and movement.
Research on Breathing and Stress Reduction
00:02:56
Toni Gonzalez
I literally have scheduled more boxing classes, and that has helped.
00:03:02
Toni Gonzalez
And of course, when I received Terrible news. I had to breathe through it to the point where it helped me more than I can ever tell you.
00:03:15
Toni Gonzalez
So I want to start with our breath. Did you know that breathing exercises have been used for centuries to help reduce stress and anxiety? Well, yes. Research shows that we can activate our body's relaxation response simply by focusing on our breathing patterns.
00:03:32
Toni Gonzalez
So here's a nugget of knowledge for you. A 2019 study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that engaging in controlled breathing techniques can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress.
00:03:46
Toni Gonzalez
Participants who practiced these method these methods reported feeling calmer and more centered, often with immediate results.
Breathing Techniques for Stress Relief
00:03:54
Toni Gonzalez
So why does this work? Breathing techniques, especially slow and deep breaths, which I've talked about many, many, many times, and I have repeated it here and on Instagram, signal our brain to decrease cortisol levels, our stress hormone, and promote relaxation.
00:04:14
Toni Gonzalez
So there's so many different types of breathing and I've talked about these before and I wanted to go over some of some of them again. And these are types of breathing exercises for stress relief.
00:04:28
Toni Gonzalez
Diaphragmatic breathing. I know you heard this here before. Also known as belly breathing. This technique encourages it encourages you to breathe deeply using your diaphragm. This type of breathing engages your full lung capacity and can help calm your nerves.
00:04:44
Toni Gonzalez
Two books that I highly recommend are Breathe and Breathing for Warriors by Dr. Belisa Vranich. Those are great books and that it shows you how to measure your breathing and you could do this all yourself.
00:04:57
Toni Gonzalez
So let's take a quick, let's do a quick practice. Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four. Hold for a count of four. And exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six.
00:05:11
Toni Gonzalez
Let's try it together.
00:05:15
Toni Gonzalez
Inhale through your for a count of 4, 4, 3, 2, 1. Hold for a count of 4, 4, 3, 2, 1. And exhale through your mouth for a count of 6, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. for three to one and exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six six five four three two one The next method is 4-7-8 technique developed by Dr. Andrew Weil. This technique can help promote relaxation and aid sleep, which is crucial when coping with stress.
Box Breathing Technique and Benefits
00:05:54
Toni Gonzalez
You need stress, people. I mean, you need you don't need stress. You need sleep, people. Stress will stop you from sleeping.
00:06:00
Toni Gonzalez
The rule is simple. Inhale for four seconds, hold for seven seconds, and exhale for seven seconds. That's again, in inhale for four, four, three, two, one.
00:06:16
Toni Gonzalez
Hold for seven, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. And exhale for eight, eight.
00:06:38
Toni Gonzalez
And the next one is box breathing. Often utilized by athletes and military personnel, box breathing involves inhaling, holding, exhaling, and again holding each for four counts.
00:06:50
Toni Gonzalez
This method can can greatly reduce anxiety and promote focus before high stress situations. And something that I read about is that picturing a box in front of you and like, and thinking about this. So you hold for, you inhale for four, hold for four, exhale, and again, holding. So go around doing the four, you know, inhale four, exhale four, inhale four, exhale four, all around this box.
Role of Physical Exercise in Stress Management
00:07:22
Toni Gonzalez
The role of exercise and stress management is equally important. Now let's talk about physical exercise, which is which is super important. Countless studies have explored the connection between regular physical activity and its effects on reducing stress.
00:07:38
Toni Gonzalez
A research article from the American Psychological Association revealed that physical exercise helps release endorphins, the feel-good hormones, and acts as a natural stress reliever. It doesn't have to be a marathon, people. Even a brisk walk, a gentle yoga session, or home workout can make a significant difference in your mental well-being.
00:07:58
Toni Gonzalez
If you need motivation, think about finding activities that you really enjoy. Try out different things like cycling, swimming, dancing, or even playing with your kids or pets, or even just going around and to different gyms and just
Combining Breathing and Physical Activity
00:08:12
Toni Gonzalez
dropping in. The fees are normally very low and you can sometimes negotiate those or even get a free pass.
00:08:19
Toni Gonzalez
So bringing it all together, I want to leave you with a simple effective tip for today. Combine breathing exercises with a short bout of physical activity.
00:08:29
Toni Gonzalez
Spend five to 10 minutes inhaling deeply before going for a brisk walk or doing your favorite workout.
Conclusion and Self-care Reminder
00:08:36
Toni Gonzalez
Pairing these approaches can help you combat stress and feel more balanced in no time.
00:08:41
Toni Gonzalez
So I want to thank you for joining me today. i hope that you are doing things for yourself and that you are putting yourself on top of the list because people, it all does start with you. And like I shared with you earlier, i know Stress, bad news, all those things are terrible, but not moving and not doing the things that I need need to feel good are going to stop me from functioning. And they're going to stop me from being there for for my family, for my coworkers, for my friends, all those things. So take time for yourself. I'm going to remind you to do those things.
00:09:21
Toni Gonzalez
Place yourself on top of the list. Do something daily for yourself. And more importantly, I want to remind you to stay safe out there. And I want to also thank you for listening and for sharing and sharing this out.
00:09:33
Toni Gonzalez
And as always, I'll talk to you soon.