3 Minute Mindful Breathing Exercise: A Decision Making Weapon

Take a deep breath and let it all go….

We have all heard about the powers of breathing exercises, especially when it comes to relaxation and stress relief. But have you ever wondered if that could be done within a mere 3 minutes? It is a really simple yet extremely powerful tool to enhance our decision-making skills in a chaotic world that only stresses out!

Today, let’s talk about how a 3-minute mindful breathing exercise is a wonderful approach to help us calm down in those hasty moments. And of course, how it can help you make better decisions in life. Here’s what we are about to explore ahead:

  • 3 Minute Mindful Breathing Exercise: Benefits
  • How to Practice Mindful Breathing Exercise
  • Mind-Body Connection in Mindful Breathing Exercise
  • Mindful Breathing Exercises and Decision-Making Skills

So, without any further ado, let’s get started!

3 Minute Mindful Breathing Exercise: Benefits

Mark Williams, co-developer of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) explains this exercise as a simple yet effective way to bring your focus back to the present and manage stress. It includes three steps:

  • 1st minute – Awareness
  • 2nd minute – Focusing on your breath
  • 3rd minute – Expanding your attention

With that in mind, let’s take a deeper dive into the benefits it brings you:

Reduction in Stress and Anxiety

According to research studies, a 3-minute mindful breathing exercise can do wonders for you if you struggle with stress and anxiety. There are times when you might face a situation where you need to make a quick decision. And if you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, it will get hard to think clearly.

This is where short breathing exercises can help with stress relief and make it easy to see things more clearly. Essentially, these exercises help you to handle and manage your stress levels by making you more mindful of the present moment. So, instead of reacting on impulse or getting tangled in stress, it eventually gets easier to think through the options more calmly and decide faster!

Increase in Mental Clarity and Focus

If you find it hard to have clarity in life (just like me), a 3-minute mindful breathing exercise can help you think clearly and have a sharp focus. When you take a few minutes to focus solely on your breathing, you are actually clearing away the clutter in your mind. 

As you focus on each inhale and exhale, your mind gradually shifts from the distractions and you start to feel more present and alert. Personally, it feels like a mental reset that gives your brain a fresh start and makes it easier to decide with better mental clarity to concentrate on what you have at the moment.

Recently on 30 April, 2024, a famous lifestyle medicine expert Beth Frates MD tweeted a guide on practising mindful breathing exercises with a gif.

Enhancement of Cognitive Performance

A 2022 study on the acute impact of mindfulness meditation on cognitive performance revealed that mindfulness directly influences how your brain processes and stores information in the short term. To put it in simple words, we can say that since we tend to focus more on the present moment while focusing on breathing, it improves our ability to manage information and, hence better cognitive performance.

Improvement in Emotional Regulation

Mindful breathing exercises specifically target emotional regulations by giving you a quick and effective way to focus on your thoughts and feelings. You know how hard it gets, especially as an overthinker to manage and better process your thoughts. But when you focus entirely on your breathing and how the year feels while entering and leaving your body.

So when you are so concentrated on your breathing, you are basically distracting your mind from negative thoughts and emotional stress. I believe this simple act of focusing on your breath can act as a buffer between your initial feelings and your actions for improved emotional regulation. 

How to Practice Mindful Breathing Exercise

Time needed: 3 minutes

As someone who has been trying it for a while, I can claim one thing – the 3-minute exercise is pretty simple and effective. With the right approach, you can easily dip into mindfulness even if you are super busy with your thoughts. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Find a quiet place.

    Find a quiet place with NO disturbance. This could be anywhere as long as you can have a few minutes of undisturbed time. 

    A Quiet Place -3 Minute Mindful Breathing Exercise A Decision Making Weapon - LearnReal.in

  2. Find your comfort zone.

    Find your comfort zone by sitting or standing to ensure your posture remains relaxed yet supportive. If you are sitting, keep your spine straight but not stiff. When you are standing, try to balance your weight evenly on both feet.
     
    Find Your comfort Zone - 3 Minute Mindful Breathing Exercise A Decision Making Weapon - LearnReal.in

  3. Take a slow and deep breath.

    Start by taking a slow and deep breath through your nose, filling your lungs fully without any straining. Try to feel the air moving in and the slight pause happening naturally.

    Take a small Deep Breath - 3 Minute Mindful Breathing Exercise A Decision Making Weapon - LearnReal.in

  4. Exhale slowly through your mouth.

    Now exhale slowly through your mouth and notice the sensation of air releasing. This is the step where you will start to feel more relaxed as you let go of the tension trap inside your body.

    A lady is meditating and exhale slowly - LearnReal.in

  5. Continue in the same manner.

    Continue this pattern of breathing and focusing on the sensation of air entering and leaving your nostrils. This will help you keep your mind from wandering too far.

    Mindfulness Breathing Exercise - LearnReal.in

  6. Ignore your thoughts.

    If you feel like there are too many thoughts in your mind (which will happen), let it be. I have been there and trust me, the more you try to control your thoughts, the more they will wander.

     Ignore Your Thoughts - LearnReal.in

What More Should I Know About This Exercise?

Whenever you notice your focus shifting, gently try to bring it back to your breath without getting upset with yourself. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed while you do this – just be sure to be consistent without any expectations! Keep a timer or count your breaths to maintain this practice for the full 3 minutes. 

💡 Tip: Try to do the exercise at a specific time of your daily routine. Once you become consistent, it will naturally become part of your day and you will gradually find it easier to stick with the habit.

Mind-Body Connection in Mindful Breathing Exercise

Here’s a question: ever wonder how taking the deep breaths we discussed above calms your mind? We know what happens, but what does it really take? It’s all about the mind-body connection in mindful breathing exercises that makes it all possible. 

Understanding The Physiological Effects Of Stress

Stress is bad. We know it. But what does it really do to our minds? If you notice, you will feel that your body goes into alert mode whenever you are stressed. This can lead to all sorts of changes within your body like your heart beating faster, your muscles tensing up and your breathing getting quicker. These are all part of your body’s way of dealing with and reacting to stress.

But here is the thing: when you practice breathing techniques, you put a pause to this chaos. By slowing down and focusing on your breath, you tell your body that it’s okay to relax now. This helps to counteract those stress-induced changes and bring your body back into a more balanced state. 

Mindful Breathing Exercises and Decision-Making Skills

We have talked about the process and what it takes. But finding those moments of calm and clarity can feel like a luxury when it comes to making concentration exercises a part of your daily life. If you struggle with that, consider adopting a practical approach. This can help you go a long way in using it as a decision-making tool. 

Remember that feeling when you are overwhelmed with choices and can’t reach a decision? Whenever we are stuck with tough choices or higher stress levels, it is a loop of indecision that makes us feel overwhelmed.

But with mindful breathing, we calm the chaos in our mind and get more control over our thoughts. Ultimately, this control helps with calmness induction to break through the whole decision making paralysis that keeps us stuck! 

Conclusion

From what we saw above, it is clear that a 3-minute mindful breathing exercise is not just a quick pause in your busy day but a powerful tool to improve your decision-making capabilities. By letting yourself step back from the chaos of daily stress, this simple yet effective practice helps you to approach your decisions with a calm and rational mind. With discipline and persistence, it can lead to more thoughtful and informed choices to navigate your life with wisdom! 

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