The just breathe tattoo is a tattoo that has been becoming more popular with the universal acceptance of mental illness being a real issue in the world. For many years there was such a stigma around the subject of mental health that people rarely talked about it. We are now in an era where it is acceptable to admit something may not be right. We’re also realizing that many more people than we thought were dealing with the same issues we were. The just breathe tattoo is a reminder to slow down and take a breath when things feel like they’re spinning out of control.

In this article, we are going to explore the meaning behind the phrase, “just breathe” and where it originated. This is not a phrase but could be considered a way of life. We hope that by the time you read through this article you will have a better understanding of the phrase and why so many people are living by the credo and getting it tattooed on their body.

I’m sure you’ve felt the same way as I have in the past. That feeling when you’re facing a daunting task or something your nervous about. The feeling when the walls feel like your closing in and it get hard to breathe. You get that panicky feeling where you start sweating sand feeling stressed… just breathe.

This was the phrase that I’ve been told in the past when I’ve felt scared, stressed, panicked or frustrated. Feeling like this can actually be quite harmful and effect your body, behavior and feelings. When stress is not dealt with in a timely manner it can cause high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and heart disease. This can lead to a lifetime of issues and potentially even worse.

In addition to the stress we’re feeling in the moment, we’re also creating more issues for ourselves down the road. So, what can we do to help alleviate this problem? Take slow, mindful and deep breaths through the nose. Exhale for almost twice as long as it took you to take the breath.