Breathe! Breathe in and breathe out. Take deep breaths in through your nose and breath out through your mouth. Breathe deeply and consciously.

Are you finding it difficult to breathe wearing a mask? These masks are important to wear during the Covid-19 pandemic when we are around other people during our rare trips to the food store or pharmacy. Personally, it discourages me from making unnecessary trips out of the house. I just cannot breathe well while wearing the mask.

However, this makes it all the more important to breathe, and to breathe deeply when we can. Here in Switzerland there are only rare cars on the road and the air is surely cleaner. I hope the same is true for you. Open the window and breathe deeply. Again, take deep breaths in through your nose and then breath out through your mouth. Do it consciously. Feel the cool air entering and the warmer air leaving your lungs.

An energizing breathing exercise is to breathe in to the count of 5; hold that breath for the count of 5; breathe out to the count of 5; then hold the breath for the count of 5. Continue to do this several times. I find that it revitalizes me to do this during the day and surprisingly becomes calming when I use it at night to go to sleep.

Breathing consciously will help both your physical health and enhance your age-esteem.

Bonnie Fatio

Activity and routine will also help you sleep better. A good night’s sleep is restorative and helps to prevent illness. Here are a few sleep exercises that I have personally tested and find helpful.

It’s true. Counting your blessings can be powerful. I personally find it helpful to give thanks for three blessings just before I go to sleep.  As I snuggle under the duvet each night, I remind myself of three things from the day that make me happy and for which I am thankful. This relaxes me and calms my thoughts since it focuses my mind on positive events of the day. Most often, remembering just these three things sends me off to slumber with a smile.

Note: You may find it a bit challenging when you begin. Stay at it, though. Soon you will find counting your blessings is as natural as brushing your teeth.

A breathing exercise I find uplifting as I lie in bed is to breathe in everything good, healthy and positive and to breathe out the unhealthy, negatives and bad. For instance, as I breathe in through my nose, I breathe in happiness, peace, health, understanding and love. Then as I breathe out through my mouth, I breathe out fear, pain, disease, war, sadness and cruelty. This often relaxes me completely. You can also be very specific in what you breathe in as good and breathe out as bad. For instance, I breathe in the hugs of my grandchildren, the prayers of friends, and knowing I am cared for. I breathe out all traces of Covid-19, fear of being ill, and sadness of not seeing friends.

Do you have a book that you enjoy reading? A pleasant story, poetry or prose that calms you can provide a soft transition from a busy day to a good night’s sleep. I also find that doing a cryptogram or crossword puzzle helps me to unwind.

Age-esteemers know that sleeping well is important to our overall health and helps us to age well with age-esteem.

Bonnie Fatio