How’s everyone doing with the 31 days of wellness challenge that I proposed last week? I hope it’s making the start of your year feel amazing. (Reminder: today is the day to try bullet coffee, so cheers to that!).

This year, one of my biggest goals is to slow down. It’s something I tell myself often and somehow it never happens, so I wanted to find specific techniques that lead to a calmer state. I especially wanted some ideas that I could implement whenever I need a minute—whether I’m at home or in public.

Through practice with meditation, I learned about the 4-7-8 breathing technique and fell in love. But for some reason, I forget about it! My goal for this week—and year—is to rely on this little trick often. Join me?

Challenge: Use the 4-7-8 breathing technique

Here’s the breakdown on how to do it (p.s. it’s SO easy):

1. Let out a huge exhale to get rid of any air or energy inside your system.
2. Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds.
3. Hold that breath in for 7 seconds.
4. Exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds.

I usually repeat this until I feel totally centered/chilled.

Studies show that this is great for stress release and easing anxiety, but some go as far to say that after practice, it’s a way to fall asleep in 1 minute. I don’t know about that, but I’ve definitely used this if I’m having trouble sleeping and it works wonders. It’s perfect for people who don’t think they have time for a meditation session or are just getting into the practice.

Give it a try next time you’re stressed—or even when you’re not; it’s a nice way to balance your day before things get out of control—and let me know how it goes. Here’s to a calm 2017!

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