Breathing for a Better Grade

What if I told you there was a free and easy method of stress relief that could guide you to be more focused on your daily tasks, ability to learn, and possibly even achieve a better grade! To make it even better, it’s something that we all know how to do; breathe. When we begin to understand what happens in our body when we breathe with awareness and depth, we can start using this tool to bring ourselves to a more calm and focused place.  

Dr. Michael Olpin, Director of Weber State University’s Stress Relief Center in Utah, believes that “Focusing on your breath also brings your mind back to what is happening now, instead of worrying about what might happen in the future” (Olpin, 2012).  By being in the present moment and acknowledging each breath, we are able to put our worries and anxiety on pause; giving our mind the opportunity to focus on the task at hand (such as a research paper, or a comprehensive final exam), rather than any negative possibilities.  When our body and breath are calm, so is the mind; which can guide us to that better grade!

Try it now. Finding a comfortable seated position lightly close your eyes, and begin to focus on your inhale and exhale; not attempting to change it, simply acknowledging that it is there.  Continue this awareness for 6-8 breaths. Then on an inhale, take the breath in through the nose, past the base of the throat, filling both lungs, and contracting the diaphragm (your belly will look like a balloon that was just filled with air). Now starting from the bottom, push the exhale out of the belly, through the lungs, up past the base of the throat, and out through an open mouth; making a deep hahhh sound as you extend your exhale (thinking of the sound of the gentle waves, or Darth Vader breathing).  Repeat this breathing pattern 10-12 times; inhaling courage, exhaling fear; inhaling success, exhaling doubt.  

How we breathe is a metaphor for how we live.  Improvement in our breath will translate to improvement in our life.  

Please Note: Although I am a trained practitioner and teacher of mindfulness and yoga; I am not a physician.  If you have been instructed by a physician not to practice deep breathing techniques, please follow their instructions. 

Diane M Hudson, MSED, LMHC, NCC, CYT
Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Training & Resource Coordinator at Life Connections
Owner and Instructor at Divine YogaFitness 

Because Life is All About Connections

Life Connections provides in-home Behavioral Health Intervention services, Therapy services, autism (ABA) services and Children’s Mental Health waiver services in our 13 office locations and approved schools across Iowa. Life Connections was founded in March of 2009 with the intent to serve the children and families of Cedar Rapids and surrounding cities.

Life Connections is a highly professional and caring counseling and behavioral health provider. We offer a wide array of services to treat mental health issues including Applied Behavior Analysis Services,  Behavioral Health Intervention Services, mental health therapy, school-based therapy programs, and substance use treatment.

For more information, please call 319-409-6922. 

Resources:

• National Suicide Prevention Hotline 800-273-8255

• Crisis Text line text to 741741
• The Trevor Project – for LGBTQ+ young adult community 866-488-7386

• Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network 800-656-4673