• Breathing exercises for emotional regulation

Three main breathing exercises help in modulating emotions:

• Breath Counting – Where we sit calmly for a few seconds and slowly start counting. For example, you can count 5 to inhale and 7 to exhale. The goal of this exercise is to focus on our breathing and follow the counting as we inhale and exhale.
• Breath Shifting – Here we place one hand on our chest and the other hand on our abdomen and notice how they rise and fall with each inhales and exhales. By doing so, we aim to see the difference between the chest and belly movement during breathing, and it helps in regaining focus into our bodies.
• Breath Relaxation – Breath relaxation is the most basic breathing exercise and practically works well for any stress, anxiety, or emotional disorder. The practice is to sit back and take deep breaths with eyes closed, and continue doing so until we can feel the connection between our mind and body, and realize the stress and negativity are fading away with the deep breaths.
• Engaging in private self-talk ( e.g., "I know I can do this.")
• Reframing negative interactions (e.g., "No Wonder she is having a hard day. No wonder she is acting that way.")
• Stepping back and allowing physical distance (e.g., taking a short walk at lunch time.)
• Seeking social support (e.g., talking to a friend or family member and making a plan to spend time together."