If we think of trauma as a physical injury, when we go through a traumatic event it is like hitting our brain with a baseball bat.
It is important to seek professional help when working through trauma, there is nothing yet to substitute expert help when it comes to our brain.
Like all injuries, sometimes we fully recover, sometimes we are left with limited mobility, other times the recovery is ongoing.
There are some things that we can do to help ourselves to assist in our recovery that works alongside expert help.
Again, just like a physical injury, rest is important. To rest our brain, we can introduce a simple breathing technique – the six second rhythmic breathing.
Set a timer to beep at 6-second intervals, breathe in at the first beep and breathe out at the second. Slow your breathing right down so that you are fully breathing throughout the 6 seconds.
This will put you in the alpha zone which is the same as our body going into homeostasis which is the body's natural rhythm.
Breath in slowly at one beep until you hear the next beep then breathe out slowly until the next beep and so on.
Breathing in and out at 6-second intervals, often referred to as paced breathing, can have several benefits for your body and mind:
1. Reducing Stress and Anxiety: This type of rhythmic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps to calm the body and reduce stress levels
2. Improves Heart Rate Variability (HRV): HRV is a measure of the variation in time between each heartbeat. Higher HRV is associated with better cardiovascular health and resilience to stress
3. Enhances Focus and Concentration: By regulating your breathing, you can improve oxygen flow to the brain which can enhance cognitive function and concentration
4. Promotes Relaxation and Better Sleep: Slow, deep breathing can help trigger the body's relaxation response, making it easier to fall asleep and improve sleep quality
5. Balances the Nervous System: This breathing technique can help balance the autonomic nervous system, promoting a sense of inner calm and stability
If we count when we breathe our brain stays active which is the opposite of what we want to achieve with this technique.
When we count the brain will be anchored which reduces wandering thoughts. However, our brain will not fully relax if it is thinking about the counting.
The 6-second is a breathing technique that we cannot overdo. Start with doing this for 5 minutes daily with a goal of reaching 20 minutes each day.
You will be amazed at how effective this simple technique can be.
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Trauma.