Did you know that stress can really mess with your lung health? When you’re stressed, your body releases hormones that can make you breathe faster and shallowly. This means your lungs aren’t getting enough air. If you already have a lung condition, stress can make it even worse. For example, stress can cause a serious asthma attack.
On the flip side, if you are already having to deal with a lung problem, this in itself could be causing you stress and anxiety. That’s why managing stress and learning relaxation techniques are so important for your lung health.
Here are some easy ways to reduce stress and improve your lungs at the same time:
Breathe Deep to Calm Your Mind
Deep breathing helps your lungs take in more oxygen and can help to calm your mind. It stops you from taking shallow breaths when you are stressed. If you’ve noticed, you probably take short, shallow breaths when you’re stressed. Your upper chest is breathing but your diaphragm isn’t moving.
This can disrupt the balance of gases in your body. Controlled breathing helps you relax and lowers your heart rate. Next time you’re feeling stressed or a bit anxious, try this technique. Find a comfortable spot to sit or lie down. Breath through your nose slowly, hold for a few seconds, and then breathe out slowly through your mouth.
Repeat several times until you feel more relaxed. Make sure you are breathing way down deep! Taking moments like these throughout your day can really make a difference in how you feel and how well your lungs work.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
This technique is like giving your body a gentle, internal massage to unwind and let go of tension. It’s where you tense and then relax different muscle groups, one at a time. This process helps release both physical and mental stress, promoting relaxation and improving your lung efficiency.
To practice PMR, find a quiet and comfortable space where you can sit or lie down without distractions. Close your eyes if it helps you focus. Begin by taking a few deep breaths, inhaling slowly through your nose and exhaling gently through your mouth to settle into a relaxed state.
Start with your feet. Curl your toes tightly and hold for a moment, feeling the tension build. Then, release the tension completely and allow your feet to relax completely. Notice the difference between the feelings of tension and relaxation in your feet?
Do this all the way up your body. Tense each muscle group and then relax. Each time you tense a muscle group, hold for a few seconds before fully releasing the tension.
Repeat the cycle of tensing and relaxing each muscle group once or twice, focusing on achieving a deep sense of relaxation. When your body feels relaxed, your breathing tends to become deeper and more natural, which can support better lung function and overall respiratory health. It’s a great technique for managing stress and improving your lungs.
Relax with Meditation
Meditation reduces stress and can make you feel more relaxed and focused. It activates your body’s relaxation response. When your body is relaxed, your heart rate slows down, your blood pressure drops and your breathing becomes deeper and more regular. It lowers your respiratory rate, which means your lungs work more efficiently and don’t have to work as hard to get oxygen into your body.
You can practice meditation every day. Just find a quiet place, sit comfortably, and close your eyes. Focus on your breathing, make sure it’s nice and deep, and clear your mind of any stressful thoughts. Think stress-free, happy ones.
Get Active and Feel Good
When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. They’re your feel-good hormones, so they are the ones that make you feel happier and more relaxed. You also need to exercise to improve your lung capacity. So by exercising you are helping your lungs and lowering your stress levels.
When you get moving it also helps you sleep better, and sleep is essential for managing stress. It’s recommended that you do at least 150 minutes of exercise per week. That means you need to exercise for about 30 minutes a day, for only 5 days of the week.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is a wonderful health healer. Quality sleep can reduce stress and help your body repair itself, including your lungs. When you’re well-rested, your body produces less cortisol, which is your stress hormone, therefore, you feel less stressed and more relaxed.
If you don’t get a good night’s sleep it can make you cranky and more susceptible to stress. When you get quality sleep, you wake up feeling refreshed and in a better mood, ready to handle any stress that might come your way.
Managing stress isn’t just about feeling better mentally, it’s also important for your physical health, which includes taking care of your lungs. If you try to manage your stress with the techniques above, you will have a win-win situation. You’ll be taking care of two important aspects of your health!
