I did a one-minute deep breathing exercise every day for a month, and I didn’t think it’d be this effective

James Frew of fitandwell.com shares his experience with deep-breathing, a relaxation technique that involves taking slow, deep breaths from the diaphragm.

Photo Cred: James Frew

It’s been a busy year. I’ve tried to stay on top of everything, but some days I feel overwhelmed by an ever-expanding to-do list. 

I already meditate every day and that usually helps with those feelings of overwhelm. But meditation is only one way to practice mindfulness. 

I use Headspace for guided meditations and recently noticed they've added a short, one-minute breathing exercise to the app. I was curious about this—outside of my meditation practice, I rarely focus on my breath.

I decided to give the 60-second breathwork session a go for a month. Sometimes I did it while on a walk, while queuing for a coffee, or when I sat down at my desk to work. I didn’t expect it to make much difference, but I was happily proved wrong.