{"id":49059,"date":"2016-04-18T07:15:05","date_gmt":"2016-04-18T11:15:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=49059"},"modified":"2023-12-11T17:14:51","modified_gmt":"2023-12-11T22:14:51","slug":"stressed-gifs-breathing-exercises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/stressed-gifs-breathing-exercises\/","title":{"rendered":"Stressed? These GIFs Will Help You Relax, Stat"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Stressed?
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cats, Kardashians, cartoon memes \u2014 our love of GIFs runs far and deep. And who can blame us? They\u2019re mesmerizing and seem to have direct access to the emotional center (and the funny bone) of our brains<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But now, GIFs are playing a surprising role as a relaxation tool.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> How to Get Good at Stress (And Make It Work in Your Favor)<\/a><\/p>\n

Whether your suffer from anxiety, panic attacks or are just stressed to the point that you feel out of control, you now have a new way to calm down. The just-can\u2019t-turn-away power of these pint-size animations may be exactly what you need to focus on your breath and relax your mind. And they can even teach you a thing or two about how to inhale and exhale and combat stress<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But First\u2026 Your Body on Stress<\/strong><\/h3>\n

How can just a few deep breaths make a difference? When you\u2019re stressed or on the verge of a panic attack, your body responds as if it\u2019s being attacked. Your heart pounds. You breathe faster. Adrenaline courses through your veins. According to Dr. Robert Duff<\/a>, a Southern California-based psychologist and author of the Hardcore Self Help<\/em> book series<\/a>, your sympathetic nervous system boosts into overdrive even though you\u2019re not in physical danger.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Is Chronic Stress Wrecking Your Workouts?<\/a><\/p>\n

To undo this effect, you need your parasympathetic nervous system. \u201cIt reverses the actions of [the sympathetic nervous system] and brings you down a few notches. It cleans up the mess,\u201d says Dr. Duff. The best way to kick the relaxation mechanism into gear? Deep breathing.<\/p>\n

\u201cBreathing deeply is fundamentally incompatible with physical anxiety,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen you breathe deeply, you take in more oxygen. It brings down your heart rate and calms down everything in your body.\u201d<\/p>\n

Breathing techniques are also the cornerstone of meditation practices<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s something that you\u2019re already doing during the day,\u201d says Lodro Rinzler, author, Chief Spirituality Officer of MNDFL<\/a>, a meditation studio in New York City, and meditation teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist lineage. \u201cWhen we learn to be present with the breath, we learn to be more present throughout the entire day, when it\u2019s good and when it\u2019s bad. You\u2019re training your mind to stay with that feeling rather than getting frazzled by it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next Up\u2026 Take a Deep Breath<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Inhale. Exhale. Sounds easy enough, right? Not quite.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe relaxation response \u2014 that feeling of breathing deeply and then your body following suit and slowing down \u2014 that response takes practice,\u201d says Dr. Duff. \u201cPractice deep breathing when you\u2019re not stressed,\u201d he says. \u201cIf the first time you try it is when you\u2019re already having a panic attack, you\u2019re going to wonder why it\u2019s not working. And you\u2019ll get more stressed about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> The Stress Hormone That\u2019s Messing With Your Diet<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr. Duff recommends practicing for a few minutes three times a week when you\u2019re calm. Try a few different techniques to find the one that works best for you. One simple technique that Rinzler recommends is breathing in through the nose for a count of three and exhaling out the mouth for a count of three. Dr. Duff also likes a number-based technique \u2014 inhale to a count of four, hold for a count of seven and exhale to a count of eight.<\/p>\n

Or\u2026 Cue These 4 GIFs <\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re having trouble getting started or staying focused, a breathing GIF may help. (And yes, there\u2019s an app<\/a> for that, too.) Here are four relaxation-inducing GIFs to help you dial down the tension with breathing exercises.<\/p>\n

\"Breathing
Photo: Tumblr<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Get guided.
\n<\/strong>While breathing is something our bodies do automatically, practicing how to breathe can be anxiety-inducing<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s stressful to think you have to learn this new skill and you have to know how to do it on your own,\u201d says Dr. Duff. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like homework.\u201d And let\u2019s face it, homework is basically synonymous with stress!<\/p>\n

To help you have greater control over your breathing, this GIF acts like a visual how-to guide and makes it easier to learn the technique. \u201cIt\u2019s passive learning and you can just reap the benefits of it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\"new-person-gif\"
GIF: Tumblr<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Count your breaths.
\n<\/strong>One of the most basic breathing practices is to count your inhalations and exhalations. You just count. And for many, that simple act allows your body to begin to relax. \u201cYou\u2019re focusing on the numbers and for a lot of people, that gets them out of their head,\u201d says Dr. Duff. As a result, you\u2019re less apt to worry about whether you\u2019re doing it wrong or if it\u2019s working. Follow the pattern in the GIF \u2013 inhale to a count of 7 and exhale to a count of 11. Or try something as simple as inhaling and exhaling, both to a count of four.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> The 8 Best Apps for Guided Meditation<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Breathing
GIF: Imgur<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Create a visual mantra.
\n<\/strong>Aside from guiding you through breathing techniques, GIFs can also help reinforce your new healthy habit<\/a>. \u201cIt builds an association with a specific image. It\u2019s like a visual mantra,\u201d says Dr. Duff. \u201cIf you practice with one, you start to build that memory in your body over time.\u201d Cue up one of these images when you\u2019re feeling overwhelmed and your body will know it\u2019s time to chill out.<\/p>\n

\"Breathing
GIF:\u00a0Tumblr<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. Get hypnotized.
\n<\/strong>It\u2019s hard not<\/em> to relax when you look at this infinity circle going around and around and around. By giving you something spellbinding to focus on, images like this are another way to silence the monkey mind.<\/p>\n

The Limitation GIPHY\u00a0Breathing Exercises\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While technology makes it convenient to have these relaxation GIFs right at our fingertips, Rinzler reminds us these are just tools. \u201cIf it helps stabilize an experience, great. But I don\u2019t want people to rely on technology to be able to [relax],\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you find you have to use [the GIFs] all the time, it might mean it\u2019s time to look a little deeper. Maybe it\u2019s time to get some counseling, go to a group or talk to somebody about why this is coming up so frequently for you and address the source,\u201d says Dr. Duff. \u201cJust in the same way you wouldn\u2019t want to take pain medication without addressing why you\u2019re in pain, you don\u2019t want to do that with coping mechanisms either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not a Daily Burn member? Sign up at\u00a0dailyburn.com<\/a>\u00a0and start your free 30-day trial today.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re not talking about Taylor Swift GIFs. Learn how these small videos can help you control your breathing and your stress levels. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,12,15],"tags":[159,173,282,345,409],"class_list":["post-49059","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-mental-health","category-stress","tag-anxiety","tag-meditation","tag-stress","tag-tax1conditions","tag-tax2chronic-pain"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49059"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49059\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}