Having cancer, gastrectomy or any type of chronic life changing issue is stressful. Stress is very hard on our bodies. Stress is actually more harmful to our bodies than many other things we can do. Just google the effects of stress and you will get an amazing amount of information about all of the bad things that stress does to us.
I have found that simple breathing can help. I have used this technique with people who have anxiety issues, my teams at work and myself as I have gone through many stressful times.
Just breathe. It is so simple but yet so very hard to do. When you are at your most stressed time it is hard to remind the brain that you need to breathe. If you can do that you will find that you may be able to reduce your stress. It is not just about breathing though. It is most helpful if you count your breaths. Inhale through the nose slowly and then exhale through your mouth. Do this as slowly as you can and make sure to count the number of times that you do this. Ten would be the lowest number of times to breathe.
Why does this work? Concentrating on breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth ten times will help your mind focus on something other than what is stressing you out. The other part of this is that by breathing this way you are getting more oxygen to your brain and your brain will function much better when it has the right amount of oxygen. Getting through a very stressful and horrible situation doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as closing your eyes and breathing deeply ten times in a row. It doesn’t take away the thing that is stressing you but may help you focus on a solution instead of the problem.
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