Have you ever noticed that the moment someone asks, “What are you feeling right now?” your emotions become just a little easier to manage? It may seem too simple to make much of a difference, but research suggests that accurately putting emotions into words—a process called affect labeling—can actually reduce the intensity of emotional distress. Read this to see how naming your emotions can help you regulate your emotions better in your day to day life.

One of the simplest ways to practice mindfulness is through breathing exercises. Our breathing is always with us, making it one of the most accessible tools for calming the nervous system. In this post, I’d like to introduce two simple breathing techniques - box breathing and the physiological sigh - and discuss when each can be most helpful. If you've been looking for simple ways to calm your nervous system, read this post.