Aging with RAZ

Breathing exercises for caregivers

Dementia caregivers are the most likely of all caregiving groups to put off self-care. Plagued by persistent exhaustion that sleep does not fix, making us irritable which may cause us to withdraw from society, which creates more stress.

Did you know that as a dementia caregiver you may be holding your breath and causing your cortisol levels to rise?

Cortisol is great if you are outrunning an angry mob with clubs and pitchforks, but not so great when you are banking it every day in your body for retirement. When we are stressed, we hold our breath—only using the top third of our lungs. It increases blood pressure, chances of heart attack or stroke, likelihood of diabetes, and chances of early death.

What if there was a simple, portable solution we could use every day?

Simple Breathing Exercise

Follow these simple steps to reduce your daily stress:
1. Take a step back from whatever you are doing.
2. Take a deep breath in through your nose, fill your lungs until you feel it in your diaphragm (belly).
3. Gently purse your lips together and breathe out of your mouth for 8 seconds.

Repeat two more times.

Quick tips:
➡️ Set the alarm on your cell phone so you don’t forget to take time to breathe.
➡️ If you use this simple breathing technique five times a day for five minute. Over the course of six months your cortisol levels will return to normal.
➡️ If you are taking blood pressure medication, alert your medical practitioner so they may adjust your dosage to prevent you from passing out from low blood pressure.
➡️ If you do this exercise for ten minutes or longer you may experience a tingling, euphoric feeling. That is the increased oxygen in your blood stream alerting you it is time to stop.

The next time caregiving makes you feel like you’re running from the mob with pitchforks, pause and breathe. This small habit will not fold the laundry, answer the same question for the tenth time, or magically make the day easier, but it will help. Caring for yourself is not one more thing on the list—it helps you keep going. Give yourself the grace to enjoy the moment. You need to do something just for you.