It all started a week before my best friend’s wedding. I had to give a speech and I was so nervous that I couldn’t sleep no matter what I tried.
I did not rest for three days and asked the mother of the bride (who taught meditation) what to do. He said he knew the solution to my problem. Not only did it help, it changed my life!
This is called the 4-7-8 method. What you need to do:
Breathe calmly through your nose for 4 seconds.
Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds.
It’s really that simple. It may sound crazy, but it really works.
How it works
I thought he was just kidding. However, to my surprise, I woke up the next morning and realized that I hadn’t even counted to 8 at the end of the exercise before going to bed.
Here’s how I found out how it works. During stress and anxiety, the amount of adrenaline in the blood increases, breathing becomes faster and easier. This breathing exercise is relaxing. Deliberately slowing down your breathing like this can slow your heart rate and lead to a very rapid relaxation; This is simple physiology!
This exercise helps to calm your mind because it forces you to fully focus on your breathing. You don’t notice it, but during this time, your central nervous system gradually decreases and the feeling of anxiety disappears. Any neurologist will tell you that.
As a result, your whole body relaxes. Exercise is similar to anesthesia in terms of speed and strength of physical effects. Dr. Andrew Weil of Harvard University looked into this and found that the 4-7-8 method had been well known to Indian yogis for centuries. They use it for complete relaxation during meditation. Therefore, it is safe to say that it is completely harmless.
How it can benefit you in particular
I can tell you one thing for sure: if this exercise works for you like it did for me, it will help you fall asleep faster in a variety of situations. For example, if you wake up late at night because something is bothering you, it can help. The same thing happens when you get nervous before a competition or an important life event. The 4-7-8 method is guaranteed to give you the rest you need!
I’ve been using it every night since my wedding and every morning I wake up I’m amazed at how well it works!