Mental Health Exercises

Breathing exercises are a relaxation technique in which a person focuses on taking slow, deep breaths.

Grounding exercises are activities that help you connect with the present moment and refocus on the here and now.

Breathing Exercises

Quick Deep Breathing Technique

First, take a normal breath.
Then breathe deep: Breathe in slowly through your nose, allowing your chest and lower belly to rise as you fill your lungs.
Let your abdomen expand fully.
Now breathe out slowly through your mouth (or your nose, if that feels more natural).

Repeat 3 x’s every hour or as you feel it is necessary.

The Science Behind Why

Stress and anxiety can impact your breathing without you even realizing it. Your heart rate may increase in response to stress, and this can cause you to take shallow breaths, or you might even hold your breath for a period of time, causing your body to tense up.

It is important to get into the habit of practicing deep breathing techniques, concentrating on breathing from your diaphragm. Breathing techniques for stress relief can make a big difference in how you cope with stress during life’s challenging moments.

Breathing Exercise: Boxed Breathing

Boxed breathing is a stress-reducing technique utilized by the U.S. Navy SEALs. See the instructional video to learn and follow along.

Imagine a box with 4 equal sides

Inhale for 4 seconds
Exhale for 4 seconds
Inhale for 4 seconds
Exhale for 4 seconds
Repeat

5-Finger Breathing - showing inhaling up the finger in black and exhaling running down the finger in blue

Breathing Exercise: 5-Finger Breathing

Five-finger breathing can help you slow down and focus when you're anxious. It can also help children manage their feelings and bring back a sense of calm.

Instructional Video: Five-finger breathing is a breathing exercise that involves tracing each finger on one hand while breathing in and out with the other hand.

Imagine your hand with 5 fingers or physically trace your hand:

Hold one hand out in front of you
With your other hand, place your index finger on the outside of your pinky finger
As you breathe in, trace up the outside of your pinky
As you breathe out, trace down the inside of your pinky
Repeat the process for each finger on your hand
Finish with five deep breaths
Repeat the exercise with your other hand

Grounding Exercises

Grounding Exercise: 5-4-3-2-1 Method

Instructional Video: Start by breathing deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Then, slowly look at your surroundings and list things around you while noticing the details of each item.

5 things you can see around you
4 things you can touch
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 emotion that you feel

Grounding Exercise: Body Scan

Instructional Video: Start by getting comfortable and taking a few deep breaths.

This mindfulness exercise invites you to mentally scan your body and slowly focus your attention on different parts from your head to your toes.

As you do this, you are trying to notice any sensations or tension. There are several ways to do the body scan:

Observe those feelings without judgment
Relax any tension in the area that you feel
Tighten the area and then relax it

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