You don’t have to be an expert meditator to benefit from a breathing practice! In fact, just five minutes of mindful breathing can decrease your stress and anxiety.
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Mindful Breathing Study Key Take-Away Points
A study was conducted to compare the effects of a 5-minute mindfulness-based breathing practice with a longer 20-minute practice.
- Participants had limited prior experience with mindfulness practices.
- All participants, including a control group, participated in 4 sessions over the course of 2 weeks.
Results showed both mindful breathing practices significantly:
- Increased trait mindfulness (tendency to be aware of the present moment in a nonjudgmental, nonreactive way).
- Decreased depression, anxiety and stress levels.
Participants in the shorter, 5-minute practice experienced a significantly greater:
- Increase in trait mindfulness.
- Decrease in stress.
How to Practice Mindful Breathing:
Check out my Guided 5-Minute Mindful Breathing Practice below or follow the instructions on your own!
- Find a quiet, comfortable space where you can sit or lay down.
- Close your eyes or look down and soften your gaze.
- Start to pay attention to your breath.
- Notice how the air feels when it enters your body.
- Follow the air down into your lungs.
- Notice how it feels when you exhale.
- When your mind wanders away from the breath, which it will:
- Remind yourself that this is natural.
- Recognize that you were “thinking” or “distracted” in a non-judgmental way.
- Return your focus back to your breath.
- Continue in this fashion for 5-minutes.
Helpful Links
Research Abstract (Breathing protocol is in the “Electronic Supplementary Material” tab on the right.)
Guided 5-Minute Mindful Breathing Practice
Small Changes, Big Transformation
A 5-miute mindful breathing practice is one small change we can make to prioritize our health and build resilience. Wellness doesn’t have to feel so overwhelming. Give this practice a try this week and let me know how it goes!
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