keep calm & just breathe

Keep calm and carry on. We've probably all come across these words in popular culture. On posters, mugs, salt and pepper shakers. These words are good advice. But in a world where our lives are more busy than ever what do these words really mean to us in our day-to-day life? Don't get me wrong, I believe in speaking positively, using affirmations, and practicing gratitude, but how does this translate practically for our body, soul (our mind, emotions and will) and spirit?

Like many people, I've struggled with ongoing stress and anxiety in my life. Over the past few years, I've learnt to manage stress and anxiety so that it no longer has a hold on me. Chronic levels of stress and anxiety are related to both physical and emotional illnesses. Chronic stress and anxiety will raise the level of cortisol (the hormone released in response to stress) in your body and it will stay raised, which in turn suppresses your immune system. Basically, if your body remains in this state, you will burn out and become very sick. Our body responds to stress and anxiety with the release of cortisol in order to divert energy from functions like digestion and immunity in order to survive the immediate threat. The problem is that what we can perceive as a "threat" is actually not threatening to us at all. And so, we are stuck in a cycle that cannot be broken without reframing, retraining and reviving our body, soul and spirit.  

Here is a stress-busting and life-giving framework that works for me:

Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV), Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Why does this work? I am laying down the things I am carrying and entrusting them to someone (God) who is bigger and greater than me and my situation. I am practicing thanksgiving, or gratitude, which many psychologists will agree with is the antidote to negativity, which can be a toxin in our lives and in our relationships. And in the context of a loving relationship with my heavenly Father, I can entrust the difficult things in my life to Him, knowing that in place of stress and anxiety, He will give me peace and joy.

Physically, we can interrupt the physiological response to stress and anxiety with a very simple tool, and that is deep breathing. The practice of deep breathing is essential to the sustaining of our lives. As I've written before, it is through the act of breathing we obtain the oxygen our bodies need to function at their best. The benefits of deep breathing include the massaging of internal organs for tone and optimal functioning, purification of the blood, drainage of waste through the lymphatic system, improved heart health, decreased blood pressure, and is the natural way for your body to keep calm during times of stress and anxiety.

Located at the centre of the diaphragm is the solar plexus, a concentration of nerve cells. The more work we give the diaphragm, the more we stimulate these nerves and increase the amount of nerve energy going to the vital organs. There is a general calming effect on the entire nervous system, enabling us to cope with stress and pressure more readily (How a Man Lived In Three Centuries: The complete guide to Natural Health, Roger French).   

Our main breathing muscles are the intercostal muscles, which are the muscles between the ribs, and the diaphragm, an involuntary muscle which is basically the "floor" of the ribcage. You will see and feel deep breathing. As the air goes in there is an expansion through the ribcage and the abdomen, and as the air goes out there is a contraction through the ribcage and the abdomen. Try this slow and deep breathing cycle: in, out, pause, repeat. Imagine your lungs are like balloons that get bigger as the air goes in and smaller as the air goes out.

Here are some relaxing breathing patterns that may work for you:

• Focus on the breath. Place your hand flat on your abdomen (i.e. below your sternum and above your belly button). Count each breathing cycle slowly from 10 to 1. With each out breath, allow yourself to feel heavier and more relaxed as you release the tension from your body.
• Pick a spot to focus on. Count five breaths backward and with each breath allow your eyes to close gradually. Concentrate on each breath. When you get down to one breath your eyes will be closed. Focus on the feeling of relaxation.
• Sit still in a quiet place with your eyes closed. Be aware of the breath entering through your nostrils, filling up your lungs and exiting through your lips. Count through each breath as the air goes in and out. Count through the pause before the next breath. Continue this breathing pattern for fifteen to twenty minutes. 

In times of stress and anxiety you'll do well to remember this phrase... keep calm and just breathe!!!