9 to 5 Wellness
Do you have the knowledge you need to help your organization get the best return on the time and capital invested in employee wellbeing? Are you a busy professional or C-suite leader looking to introduce wellbeing program at your work?
Discover the art and science of helping organizations grow their most important resource, their people. In this podcast we discuss how organizations can utilize the potential of wellbeing programs to deliver high return on investment (ROI) to employers. We talk about the radical impact that holistic employee wellbeing programs can have on overall quality of work and productivity. We will be sharing insights on investing in human capital. Such as:
🌟 What has helped their organizations gain a competitive advantage?
🌟 How they see the future of employee wellbeing?
🌟 Misunderstandings that are out in the corporate market today
🌟 Advice to other leaders to create a happier, healthier, and more productive workplace
Our guests are C-suite leaders, and wellness innovators across the value chain: HR managers, wellness champions, community wellbeing ambassadors, service vendors, and wellness consultants.
9 to 5 Wellness
Take a Deep Breath
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🎙️🎧 In this episode learn how to practice diaphragmatic (belly) breathing which is a quick way to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and feel grounded.
🌟 🌟 🌟 If you liked this episode and would like to learn more about wellness training and workshops offered by 9 to 5 Wellness, email us at info@aeshathair.com. You can learn more about our programs at: https://toneandstrengthen.com/workshops-trainings/. 🌟 🌟 🌟
My passion is helping organizations create a culture of wellness, and I do this by setting up health programs that prioritize the most important asset they've got – their employees. Cheers to a healthier and happier journey ahead!
🌟 🌟 🌟 You can learn more about ME- the host at https://www.aeshatahir.com
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Welcome to the 9 to 5 Wellness Podcast, a show about corporate wellness solutions with innovators and forward-thinking leaders who are at the forefront of the workplace wellness movement. I'm your host, Ayesha Tahir.
Hello, and welcome to episode number 121 of the 9 to 5 Wellness podcast. I want you to take a second and just notice your breath right now. Are you breathing into your chest with shallow, quick breaths? Maybe your shoulders are up towards your ears. If so, you're not alone. In our fast-paced world, most of us have forgotten how to breathe properly.
But what if I told you that in less than five minutes, you could reduce stress, lower your blood pressure, and feel instantly more grounded? And no, I'm not talking about magic. It's diaphragmatic breathing, or what many call belly breathing. . Today, we are gonna talk about what this is, why it works, and then we are going to do a live guided session together. So find a comfortable spot, whether you're sitting at your desk, driving in your car, or laying on your back, and let's get into it.
First off, I wanna tell you why breathing is so important. Because just like we perform strength training, we also have to train our diaphragm and intercostal muscles for deep breathing. The diaphragm, a dome-shaped muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdomen, is the most important muscle used for inhalation.
The intercostal muscles help move the rib cage and assist in breathing Chest breathing can be a hard habit to kick since most of us spend many hours hunched over our computers or even our driving seat shortening the chest muscles, inhibiting deep breathing. A good way to switch to deep belly breathing is to do breathing exercises when you're not working.
the more you practice it, the more it becomes the default mechanism for your body. So what actually is diaphragmatic breathing? Think of the diaphragm as a dome-shaped muscle located just below your ribs, separating your chest from your abdomen.
When we are stressed, we breathe from the upper chest, and we take shallow breaths. This activates the fight or flight response. Deep diaphragmatic breathing, however, involves using that dome-shaped muscle. When you inhale, the diaphragm contracts and moves down.
This creates a vacuum in your chest, pulling air into your lower lungs and pushing your stomach out. When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and moves up, pushing the air out. Now, the benefits of doing diaphragmatic breathing are that it activates your parasympathetic nervous system. According to research, this stimulates the vagus nerve, which tells your brain, "Hey, we are safe," turning off the stress response.
It lowers the cortisol levels. It reduces the stress hormone cortisol in the body. And lastly, it leads to better oxygen flow. It delivers more oxygen to your blood and reduces the energy your body spends on breathing. .. And no, it's not just for yogis.
It's a tool for anyone who's stressed out, feeling high-strung, dealing with anxiety, or looking to improve their physical performance.
So let's practice this together.
Find a comfortable spot where you can relax and get settled If you can, lie on your back with your knees slightly bent and feet hip-width apart. If you're sitting, keep your back straight and feet on the floor. Let your shoulders relax away from your ears.
Place one hand on your upper chest and the other hand on your belly, just below your ribcage.
For the inhale, breathe in slowly through your nose. Aim to make the air go deep into your belly. Notice your belly pushing out against your hand. The hand on your chest should barely move. Inhale for two, three, four. Feel your belly expand like a balloon, and then exhale for four, three, two, one. Try to exhale through pursed lips as if you're blowing out a candle.
Notice your hand on your belly moving inwards towards your spine, relaxing back down. Continue this breathing pattern for five to six more breath cycles. Inhale, feel the stomach rise. Exhale, feel your stomach fall. If your mind wanders, that's fine. Gently bring your focus back to the sensation of your belly moving.
Inhale, four, three, two. Exhale, four, three, two. Inhale for three, two, one. Exhale, three, two, one. One more time, take a big deep inhale, and then take a big exhale out.
so how are you feeling now? Even just doing that for a minute can change your energy. A great tip I learned is to practice this ten times per hour or take five minutes twice a day to sit and consciously do deep belly breathing. If you find it hard at first, don't worry. I was the same way.
I was like, "How can I do this?" But remember, your body adapts. So your body is used to shallow chest breathing, and it will take some time for you to adapt to deep belly breathing. If you ever feel lightheaded after a breathing session, you should stop and return to normal breathing and try again later.
When you feel overwhelmed-- But remember this, when you feel overwhelmed, perhaps before a stressful work meeting or when looking at a long email from your boss, place one hand on your belly and take three deep breaths. Thank you so much for joining me today on our podcast.
I hope you feel a little more at ease after this episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with someone who needs a little calm today. Until next time, keep breathing deeply and stay present.
Bye.
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