Do you feel frequently tired? Are you often anxious or upset? Are you easily irritated by small things? If your answer is yes to any all these questions, you could be stressed! 

One of the easiest and most effective tools in managing stress is deep breathing exercises.

Here are three easy-to do techniques to try:

Belly Breathing

Place one hand on your belly while the other one is on your chest. Breathe in through your nose and feel your abdomen extend outwards. Exhale slowly through your lips while tightening your abdominal muscles as you pull them inwards. The hand on your belly should move more than the one that’s on your chest.

Continue for 3-4 cycles.

4-7-8 Breathing

Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, right behind your front teeth.  Breathe in through your nose slowly for four seconds. Hold your breath for seven seconds, then exhale for eight seconds while making a whooshing sound. Repeat 3-4 times before resuming normal breathing activity.

Breath Count

Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. After that, breathe normally and  count every time you breathe out the air. Once you reach the fifth exhale, start a few deep breaths again.

Doing these breathing exercises will take only a few minutes. Work your way to at 10 minutes or more to get even greater benefits.