Today’s Solutions: July 14, 2025

If the elections have you feeling anxious, we have a simple yet powerful way to feel calmer: intentional breathing. Most of us don’t pay much attention to how we breathe, because it happens automatically, but the fact of the matter is that we should be more mindful of how we breathe.

As James Nestor points out in his fascinating book Breath, most of us breathe wrong—with our mouths open and without any intention. Mouth breathing, he explains, undermines health and our ability to manage stress. Not to mention it limits the amount of oxygen we draw into our lungs.

When we are more deliberate of how we breathe, the benefits for mental and physical health can be great. Even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can transform our mood, focus, perception of stress, and energy level. And that’s vital in these stressful election times.

If you want to breathe better and feel calmer right now, try the following breathing exercise. It’s simple and can be done anywhere.

  1. Sit up straight
  2. Relax your shoulders
  3. Close your mouth
  4. Inhale softly through your nose for 5.5 seconds, expanding the belly
  5. Exhale softly for 5.5 seconds through your nose, bringing the belly in as the lungs empty.

Repeat the exercise 10 times and feel the calmness wash the stress away.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

A new study could change Alzheimer’s treatment by unlocking the brain’s...

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A quiet but powerful ally in the brain may be reshaping how we understand and treat neurodegenerative disease. ...

Read More

Before you hit the road: 5 things to unplug before vacation

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Most people remember to lock the doors and turn off the lights before heading out for summer vacation. ...

Read More

How low can you go? The benefits of squatting like a toddler

Squats are a staple of most workout routines (especially on leg days), but what about a deep resting squat? That isn't always a go-to, ...

Read More

Hospitality workers’ wages get unprecedented boost with 30% wage increases

In an unexpected turn of events, the hospitality industry, long associated with some of the lowest-paid occupations, is undergoing a wage revolution. Over the last ...

Read More