Author of the photo: Lee Minh Phuong
If you feel as if you are constantly in a state of worry, you might be suffering from some type of anxiety disorder. There are many kinds, such as generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and panic attacks. As anxiety differs from person to person, we can all still agree that it can take a toll on your body. Many who’ve suffered from anxiety have said that breathing has become an issue, several finding themselves taking short, rapid breaths throughout the day. In the United States alone, about 40 million adults are affected by some sort of anxiety disorder. With so many people experiencing this issue, it is important to teach techniques that can enable those who constantly find it hard to breathe during anxious moments.
Realizing You’re Breathing Improperly
The first step is to be aware of your rapid breathing. When feeling anxious, many don’t realize that their anxiety is causing their shortness of breath. As you find yourself taking short breaths during a stressful moment, place a hand on your chest and another on your lower stomach. When doing this, notice which hand rises first. If your stomach is expanding and contracting with each breath, then that means that you are breathing properly. Otherwise, if your chest is rising before your stomach, then you need to follow the steps below to reduce your anxiety levels. Constantly breathing from the chest can cause increased heart rate, dizziness, muscle tension, and other physical sensations. If you don’t respond to this quickly enough during a stressful situation, your anxiety may worsen.
Practice Belly Breathing
Belly Breathing should hopefully help train your body to breathe from your stomach instead of your chest.
- Sit or lie down (preferably somewhere comfortable, like on your bed).
- Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach somewhere above your belly button.
- Breathe in through your nose, noticing your stomach rise. Your chest should remain relatively still.
- Purse your lips and exhale through your mouth. Try engaging your stomach muscles to push air out at the end of the breath.
- For this type of breathing to become automatic, you’ll need to practice it daily. Try doing exercise three or four times a day for up to 10 minutes.
Meditation Breathing
It is said that this is the simplest breathing exercise, and it can be performed in most anxiety-producing situations. I usually meditate in the morning, in an attempt to have a clear head for the rest of my busy day. Typically, I will find a relaxing video on YouTube to guide me through my meditation. Below are some simple steps that can be taken periodically throughout your day, when needed.
- Breathe out slowly.
- Ignore when you breathe in.
- Concentrate only on breathing out.
- Breathe out as much air as possible before breathing in again.
- Focus on relaxing the muscles in your face, shoulders, and anywhere else you feel tense while you breathe.
Results
Some may be skeptical of breathing techniques, many wondering if their anxiety is too severe for it to work. I was also once skeptical, not believing for a second that something like this could help my constant anxiety. Once I gave it a chance, I wished that I had done it sooner. Whenever I find myself in a stressful situation, I stop and make sure that I am not breathing from my chest – then practice my breathing technique if I am. As a result, I am able to get past my feeling of anxiety much faster. This has also helped my body feel less tense by relaxing my muscles and reducing my heart rate. When attempting to reduce your anxiety, self-care is always so important, and this is a great first step in doing so.
