Smoking and your health

Breathe...and relax

Breathing exercises can help you relax and help you cope whether your tension comes from wanting a cigarette or just from the stresses and strains of life in general.

1. Lie down or sit comfortably with one hand placed on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Push your abdominal muscles when you breathe in, then pause, and feel them pushing out again when you breathe out. There should be only a little movement in your chest. This will help you be aware of breathing slowly and smoothly. You should try to breathe 12-15 times a minute. It may help to have someone count the breaths for you at the beginning so that you can concentrate on your breathing.

2 'SOS' - Sigh Out Slowly - is a simple exercise that you can do by yourself. Breathe in deeply then release the breathe slowly and gently as a sigh until it is all expelled.

Taken from www.quit.org.uk