The pandemic era dramatically changed how many work and live. We’d argue that no space was more affected in the modern world by COVID-19 than the office. Whole business models were redrawn almost overnight as folks had to begin working from home full time.
For some, working remotely from home was a blessing in disguise; no more morning commutes and stress from leaving the house. However, the dramatic changes in lifestyle and work habits can be highly distressing for others. The home is filled with distractions, and the ritual of going to work can be an underappreciated tool for finding the right mind space to get work done.
Thankfully, more and more emphasis has been brought to the importance of breathwork and mindfulness in the workplace. In today’s blog, we’ll showcase how breathwork and conscious breathing techniques can help you if you struggle to find balance when working from home.
Read on!
Breathing At Home
Remote work can, on paper, seem like a great deal – and for many, it is. It means more time at home and greater flexibility to spend time with loved ones. In practice, it can be much trickier. Working from home often requires greater concentration and can be extremely difficult if you don’t have a dedicated space to get in the zone.
If you’re working from home and struggling to focus or balance your daily life, try the following tips to improve your concentration:
- Create a dedicated workspace
- Set boundaries between your work and personal time for other household members.
- Create a daily routine to structure your day.
- Ensure you have a break in the day.
Anxious Breathing
Change can always be a primary source of stress, making it hard to adjust to significant shifts in lifestyle. Working from home is an entirely different experience from office spaces, which can be an anxiety-inducing experience for many.
Belly Breathing is a powerful technique that focuses on relaxing the body by stimulating the vagus nerve - which is responsible for engaging our fight or flight response. By stimulating the nerve, we can reduce the intensity of our anxiety, allowing us to focus more clearly:
- Sit in a comfortable position and loosen your shoulders. Now close your eyes.
- Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
- Breathe normally through your nose, taking note of the rise and fall of your chest and belly.
- As you breathe, begin to reshape your breathing so your belly is what rises and falls and your chest stays stationary.
- After a while, start breathing out through your mouth slowly with pursed lips, allowing the air to flow out evenly and without force.
- Repeat for a few minutes or until you feel relaxed.
Belly breathing is profoundly helpful in a remote work environment and can be used as a tool to manage anxiety before or after your work period. It’s also easy enough to practice during a small break in the day while still being effective!
For more information regarding how to manage your breathing for a more effective lifestyle, visit our other blogs here at The Exhale to get the latest tips and tricks. For free guided breathing exercises that you can take anywhere, try out the Breathwrk app here and enjoy a FREE 7-day trial with access to everything we have to offer!
And remember: Breathe Better, Live Better.
Ciao!
