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Simple Breathing Exercises to Improve Concentration
By: LightMove Date: December 7, 2021, 2:01 am
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Breathing is something that we all do on a regular basis without
even thinking about it. Every day, we breathe in and out
approximately 22,000 times – that’s over 8 million breaths every
year! The truth is, most of us don’t take full advantage of the
power of our breath. We can all take control of our breath and
maximise its benefits by using simple breathing exercises in our
daily routines. You can even use breathing for concentration, so
we’ve outlined some breathing techniques for focus that you and
your family can use every day.
Why should children use simple breathing exercises?
One of the key roles, and challenges, that parents and educators
face is teaching children to identify and manage their emotions.
Research has shown that children who can regulate their emotions
are much happier and more successful in future life. In fact,
simple breathing exercises have a range of benefits:
Relaxed muscles
Reduced anxiety and overwhelm
Increased energy levels
Decreased stress levels
When you use deep breathing for focus, you increase the airflow
into your body. So, when you use breathing for concentration,
you allow more oxygen to enter your bloodstream. In response to
this increase, the sympathetic nervous system in your brain –
which triggers feelings of anxiety – becomes quieter. This leads
to increased feelings of calm and relaxation which can be
beneficial to aid revision, or before an exam.
However, if you ask someone to start taking deep breaths in the
middle of a stressful situation, the likelihood is they won’t
know how to do this properly and they will panic even more and
lose focus rather than gain it. This is why it’s critical to
share simple breathing exercises with your children as part of
their daily routine. You should aim to equip them with the
correct deep breathing tools so that they can use them whenever
they need to.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
One of the most effective ways that your children can use their
breathing for concentration is through diaphragmatic breathing.
This technique requires careful timing and lots of thinking, so
is best suited to teenagers.
This five-minute breathing exercise for focus is most effective
if your child is sitting down or lying on their back. This
simple breathing exercise focuses on channelling the breath into
the stomach.
To begin, your child should have their feet roughly hip-width
apart and should let their breath flow deep into their stomach.
Be careful that they don’t force this. Deep breathing should
always be as calm and natural as possible.
Next, encourage your child to focus on breathing in through
their nose and exhaling through their mouth. They should
practise this several times, ensuring that when they inhale,
they’re directing their breath into their stomach. It can be
helpful for them to place their hand on their stomach to feel
this.
The next step is to introduce some loose timing. When your child
inhales through their nose, they should count steadily from one
to five whilst they’re breathing in. This practice should be
repeated for exhaling too. Don’t worry if they can’t make it to
five – this will come with practice.
This exercise should be completed for three-five minutes. For
the best results, this technique should be completed daily. This
will make it easier for your child to put this into action if
they need to refocus and concentrate.
Don’t forget to exhale!
As mentioned above, feelings of anxiety and distraction are
associated with the sympathetic nervous system in your brain.
When you inhale, this is linked to the sympathetic nervous
system. Exhaling is linked to the parasympathetic nervous
system. Our parasympathetic nervous system influences our
feelings of relaxation and calmness, which is why exhaling is a
critical element of deep breathing for stress relief.
Before an important exam, your child may feel anxious, and would
benefit from deep breathing. However, when we start to feel
anxious, it’s easy to breathe in too much. If you take too many
deep breaths in quick succession, you will trigger the
sympathetic nervous system. This can lead to hyperventilation
and panic attacks. So it’s important for your child to balance
their inhaling and exhaling when they’re using breathing for
concentration.
The first thing to remember during simple breathing exercises is
that you should always start with a deep exhale. If your child
is looking to begin their breathing technique for focus,
encourage them to push all of the air from their lungs before
they take their first deep breath. This will prevent them from
taking lots of deep breaths in quick succession.
Next, encourage your child to spend longer on their exhalation
than their inhalation. Suggest that they inhale for four seconds
before making their exhale last for six seconds. This will
activate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping them to
relieve some of their anxious thoughts.
This exercise is most effective when it is maintained for
two-five minutes and performed in the position that is most
comfortable for your child.
Daily Breath Focus
Introducing simple breathing exercises into your child’s daily
routine can be hugely beneficial for their energy levels, which
leads to improved concentration.
To begin, your child should identify the position they are most
comfortable in. This may be sitting down or lying on their back.
Ensure they are in a quiet location. Once they are comfortable,
guide your child to breathe normally.
You are then ready to follow the breath focus process:
First, your child should notice how it feels when they’re
breathing normally. Encourage them to identify any areas of
their body which feel naturally tense or stiff.
Tell them to take a slow, deep breath through their nose. As
they do so, mention that they should feel a rise in their
stomach and upper body
They should then exhale through the mouth. If it helps, they can
sigh as they exhale.
Your child should repeat this pattern of inhaling and exhaling
for a few minutes. Ensure that they are paying careful attention
to the rise and fall of their stomach.
Once the above routine has been completed several times, you
should introduce some words during exhalation. Guide your child
to choose a word that they will focus on during exhalation.
Words like ‘calm’ and ‘safe’ can be effective.
During the next exhale, your child should end their exhale by
saying their focus word aloud.
Encourage your child to imagine that their inhale is a gentle
wave that is washing over them, whilst their exhale is carrying
negative energy and thoughts away from their body and mind.
This exercise should take about 20 minutes. For maximum benefit,
your child should repeat this exercise every day. If you don’t
have enough time, you can also choose a breathing training
device like OPUMP to accompany your child to effectively
complete the breathing training course. If they have a specific
time of day that induces anxiety, they should use this breathing
exercise in advance.
HTML https://theopump.com/
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