Our workplaces invest significant time and energy into ensuring we are sitting at our computers. If you’ve been working remotely since the pandemic in 2020, you’re well aware of this fact.
In many cases, making positive changes for our health has often focused on the ergonomic impact of sitting at a desk chair all day, or how our screens can affect our vision and focus over time. However, what is often a blindspot in workplaces is the importance of breathing and how the workplace can negatively affect our natural breathing motions. The carry-on effect of workplace behaviors can be vicious, as this can affect our mental and emotional health over time, as well as physical.
In today's blog, we’ll dive into the nature of workplace breathing and the importance of utilizing breathwork to create the ideal mindscape to work efficiently and protect our mental health.
Read on!
Breathing At Work
It may sound strange to the uninitiated, but the way we breathe when we’re at work can be vastly different from how we usually breathe at home. The workplace is filled with stressors, from tight deadlines to fluctuating workloads. Unless you work in a trade, you’ll be aware that most of the work in an office is in front of a computer screen or smartphone.
Recent research has found that looking at computer screens has an alarming effect on how humans breathe. The effect is known as screen apnea is is similar to the well-known affliction of sleep apnea. Regular users of pc will often unconsciously hold their breath or start shallow breathing when looking at a digital screen.
Just like sleep apnea, screen apnea has similar effects on the body and mind, increasing the risk of hypertension, autoimmune diseases, and certain neurological disorders, not to mention impaired ability to adequately sleep or process information, such as managing stressful events.
Breathwork for The Office
Thankfully, if you’re worried about screen apnea's effect on you and want to reduce the potential risks, trying a regular breathwork meditation may be the best way forward.
When we use breathwork meditation, the goal is to bring the body back to a steady breathing rhythm. The process is simple and can be completed anywhere, making it ideal for practicing at work, with most breathwork techniques only requiring a few minutes to complete.
Check out the method below and give it a try when starting the day at your desk or during your lunch break; you’ll be surprised by the results:
Square Breathing is as follows:
- Breathe in for a count of 4
- Hold the peak of your inhale for a count of 4
- Exhale through your mouth for a count of 4
- Hold the lungs at the bottom of the breath for a count of 4
Repeat steps 1-4 for at least 5 minutes
For more information regarding how to manage your breathing for a more effective lifestyle, visit our other blogs here at The Exhale to get the latest tips and tricks. For free guided breathing exercises that you can take anywhere, try out the Breathwrk app here and enjoy a FREE 7-day trial with access to everything we have to offer!
And remember: Breathe Better, Live Better.
Ciao!
