“One of the reasons I wrote this book was to give stress the air time that it deserves. The public needs to be more aware of how prevalent and damaging it is, and doctors need to be aware of some simple things to help people.” That’s what Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, author of “The Stress Solution,” told the New York Times.
He went on to explain:
“Now more than ever before, we’re starting to recognize that we’re leading these lives where we can never switch off. There’s always something to do. I’m not pro or anti technology, but I think for many of us we are using it in ways that are harming us.”
Dr. Chatterjee recommends a particular breathing exercise known as the 3-4-5 breath to cope with stress:
“Any time your out-breath is longer than your in-breath, you help to switch off your body’s stress response and promote relaxation.”
So try breathing in to the count of 3, hold for the count of 4, then slowly exhale for 5 seconds.
Repeat at least several times, and let us know if regularly practicing this technique has a calming effect on you.
New York Times, 10/8/19
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