Lifting heavier weights or running longer distances is strength training that’s not just about that; it’s also about creating a mentally strong state. Toughening your mental side even if you’re off the gym is very simple, take only five minutes and a simple breathing practice that you can do anywhere and anytime.
Stress is something that’s quite common for all of us in our hectic lives and managing daily stress is a skill that everyone should develop. It might be the pressing work deadlines, kid’s education, or a really challenging workout that leaves you feeling overwhelmed, one way or another, but nobody is immune to it. Consequently, the learning of the mind strengthening process is very necessary so it can ground you in the moments of chaos.
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One of the simplest ways to improve your mental fitness is to depend on the power of a five-minute guided breathing session. This kind of activity is led by the all-time newbies and the professionals of meditation on the Headspace app, and is therefore perfect for any stage — whether you have just learned about mindfulness or you have it as a weekly routine.
How This 5-Minute Practice Can Help You Build Mental Strength
When compared to physical training exercises, guided meditation requires neither fitness equipment nor a dedicated gym area and can be done anywhere in only a few minutes. The basic idea here is mindfulness — which consists in preventing the mind from wandering off into the past or future by anchoring it in the present moment, thereby avoiding stressful thoughts or feelings.
Through guided breathing exercises, you can not only observe the pattern of stress but also learn how to cool yourself down to an emotionally balanced state. The mental exercise is not about avoiding stress but is what is coming to terms with experiencing it in the correct manner.
However, the proven evidence, besides being more relaxed, shows mindfulness also has other advantages. Besides lowering the heart rate, conscious slow breaths according to research can also help in the reduction of cortisol (stress hormone) levels and assist in concentration, energy, and resistance increase in the domain of mental focus and physical strength alike.
How to Perform the 5-Minute Box Breathing Exercise
This simple breathing exercise is about paying attention to breathing, which makes it less complicated. If you own a set of noise-canceling earbuds, then they could help keep your attention by blocking the background noise, but they are not required at all.
Here’s the essential part:
- Locate a quiet and cozy seat that allows you to sit up straight.
- Shut your eyes or just gently dissolve the tension around your eyes.
- Take a deep breath for the count of four slowly.
- Keep the air in your lungs for four seconds.
- Breathe out for four seconds.
- Hold your breath for another four seconds.
- Repeat the process for five minutes.
These simple steps is all you need. On the face of it, this breathing exercise is known as the “box” method, yet in the larger picture it has tremendous potential when its rhythm is harnessed.
Why it is Important to Follow Your Breathing Exercise for a Healthy Body
The end of every grueling HIIT exercise is a test. The final couple of minutes always prove very difficult and thus it requires significantly more mental effort. However, the same kind of mental focus that develops through deep breathing training can be used to concentrate and survive the physical exercise just as well.
By keeping your breathing controlled during intense exercises, it is not only the case that your heart rate remains at a constant level — your brain will also learn to deal with physical stress more calmly, and this can significantly boost your performance over many sessions (via spark).
How to Introduce Mindfulness as a Daily Habit
Just like weight lifting or sprinting, practicing mindfulness regularly gets easier with time. If you decide on putting this breathing exercise to your five-minute morning ritual, your lunch break or your post-workout cool down, you can smoothly embed mental strength workout right into your daily schedule.
Not always is a full session necessary, but mindfulness can be quite simple. You can be mindful by just noticing the feeling of fingers typing on a keyboard, the taste of coffee, or the sun on your skin during a short walk.
If you are interested in getting some outside help for remembering to be present, then mindfulness prompt cards could be a good choice. They can be really fun and budget-friendly tools that prompt you to do simple mindfulness activities every day, and in this way, you can keep up the good work and not depend on an app or note on your phone.
You do not have to have a meditation studio or a complete free hour to begin your journey of mind strengthening. Five minutes a day, just a little will and the ability to breathe deeply can result in mental strength improvement, stress reduction, and you can feel more connected to your body and your surroundings.
In the same way as doing weightlifting helps to develop stronger muscles, mindful breathing helps to calm your mind and also develop stronger muscles. It is something that you will do every step of the way to support your health and fitness journey.
