It sometimes seems that with the frenetic pace of modern life we've all forgotten how to breath! How often do you find yourself taking fast shallow breaths without even realising?

When we are tense our breathing speeds up automatically, yet by taking slower, deeper breaths you can slow down your heart and pulse rate.

It's not that we're not breathing in enough oxygen, we're just not breathing out enough carbon dioxide. Breathing out properly clears the lungs of stale air, stops dizziness and prevents the muscles from feeling uncomfortable.

Take a slow deep breath in to the count of 7, hold it and then slowly breathe out for the count of 11. (You don't have to stick to these numbers, just make sure you breathe out for longer than you breathe in). Make sure these are deep, slow breaths.

Repeat this nice and slowly several times and just notice how it makes you feel.......

'STRONG LIKE BULL'

Stand up with your arm pointing straight out in front of you, palm pointing to the floor. Think of the times when you've done something wrong, felt bad or messed something up and as you're doing that get someone to try and push your arm down.

Close your eyes and then open them again.

This time think of all the really good things you've done and the times when you've felt really great. Imagine enormous strength coursing through your body and a beam of energy passing through your arm and flying from the end of your hand into the distance. Imagine your arm has a solid core of steel. really get a sense of how that feels.

Get the same person to push on your arm again.....but this time notice the difference!

MY HERO

Think of an area of your life where you don't believe you act or feel as good as you could. Maybe you would like to be more confident in social situations, or perhaps you would like to give better presentations or be more assertive at work.

Think of someone who has the qualities you feel you would like. This could be someone you know or a celebrity. Really notice what qualities this person has that you want. Carefully consider how they talk and how they carry themselves and how that behaviour would benefit you.

Now think of a scenario where you currently have difficulties and run through it in your mind, with you behaving the way you always have.

Now re-run the scenario but this time take on the qualities of your 'hero' and notice how the outcome of this scenario changes. Notice how different you can feel with these new qualities.....

CHANGE THE PICTURE

Think of someone who has really annoyed you, really made your blood boil! Try grading how bad they make you feel from 0-10.

When you think about them, notice if you're making a picture of them in your mind. If you are, notice whether it's in colour and if so just drain the colour out and make the picture black and white. If it's already black and white just make it a bit fuzzier.

Are there any sounds? If so just turn down the volume a bit.

Take the picture of them and stick Mickey Mouse ears on them and then push that picture of them out into the distance so that it gets smaller and smaller and smaller until they're just a tiny face or body in the far distance.

Give them a really squeaky little voice that you can barely hear now.

Grade how bad they make you feel now. Different?