60 Seconds to Less Stress

According to the May 2010 Good Housekeeping issue, for those crazed, heart-racing moments, breathing deeply for a minute or so can lower your stress level. But to decrease overall anxiety and boost confidence, practice daily for 15 to 20 minutes (start with 10 and work your way up). Health experts at Harvard suggest three different methods; use whichever feels most comfortable to you.

1. Simple Break - Take a normal breath followed by a slow, deep breath, letting the air come in through your nose to fill your lower belly. Now breathe out through your mouth or nose. Alternate normal and deep breaths.

2. Hand on Belly - Put one hand just below your belly button and breathe deeply. Feel your hand rise about an inch each time you inhale and fall about an inch when you exhale.

3. Multisystem- Close your eyes. Imagine that each inhale washes relaxation into your body and each exhale carries tension away. To reinforce the effect, as you inhale say (to yourself), "Breathing in peace and calm" and as you exhale say, "Breathing out tension and anxiety."

Teach your children less stress techniques. It might help them in stressful situations to have breathing techniques to incorporate so they can learn to bring down their stress levels.