Forty percent of the population struggles with sleep problems and difficulty sleeping well, to the extent that the phrase “I’m tired” is one of the most searched on Google.
Recent studies suggest a link to financial issues, which explains the increase in the proportion of people experiencing trouble falling asleep and sleeping well as the cost of living has risen in recent years.
Finger Breathing, a simple and fast form of self-hypnosis that helps calm down and fall asleep quickly, provides an easy and highly effective solution.
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What is Finger Breathing?
Finger breathing is a form of self-hypnosis that can be used to bring us back to a calm and rational mental state during times of anxiety or fatigue.
It involves a combination of hand movements, touches, and breaths.
Several studies have shown that effectively controlling breathing can not only help relax mentally but also promote the release of melatonin, the hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain responsible for regulating the body’s circadian rhythm and managing the natural sleep cycle.
Clare Longstaffe, the leading hypnotherapist at the charity Cavendish Cancer Care, has developed a series of different finger breathing techniques, and Mattress Online, through its partnership with Cavendish, has explained how to use finger breathing to bring us back to a relaxed mental state during periods of anxiety or before going to bed to fall asleep quickly and sleep well.
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How to Finger Breathing
Step 1:
Lie down or sit in a comfortable position. Start by breathing deeper and slower than you normally do.
Step 2:
Join the fingers and thumb of one hand while keeping the muscles relaxed. Using the cupped hand, place the tips of the joined fingers in the palm. Count five breaths while keeping your hands in this position.
Step 3:
Reverse the hands and count five breaths again.
Step 4:
Raise the thumb of one hand and wrap the fingers of the other hand around the opposite thumb. Gently squeeze the thumb while counting 5 relaxed breaths. Then switch hands and count five breaths again.
Step 5:
Repeat this process with the rest of the fingers, wrapping the fingers of one hand around the opposite index finger and holding the position for 5 relaxed breaths, before switching hands and repeating the process on all fingers.
Here’s an explanatory video.
It Works!
Chloe Angus, Corporate Wellbeing Manager at Cavendish, says:
“Our innate response to stress (fight or flight), during stressful periods can automatically accelerate our breathing or hold our breath, and most of the time, we don’t even notice it unless we pay attention.
In times of stress, if we can become aware of our breathing and focus on slowing it down, we can benefit from it. Creating the habit of paying attention to our breathing at different times of the day can help us manage emotions and stress and give us the opportunity to stop and refocus in the present moment.
Practice your breathing regularly when you’re not stressed because familiarity increases the likelihood of remembering to use it when needed.”
For more information, read here.
This article first appeared on Grazia.it
