Feeling Anxious? Try These Three Breathing Exercises To Regain Calm And Get Centered Again.
Life can be stressful for all of us at times.
You might be juggling the pressures of deadlines at work while trying to find time at home to enjoy your family and friends. Sometimes even being home ends up stressful with the countless chores to be done, trips to plan, people to see, and kids to carpool. If we do not watch out, stressful events can start taking a larger and larger toll not only on our physical health but our mental health as well.
But even if we can manage the stresses of daily life, we all face situations that get the better of us at times. We start noticing our heart racing and our breathing picks up. Maybe we start sweating a bit or fidgeting.
A boss yells at us for no reason.
Our child has a temper tantrum in public.
We get in an argument with a loved one.
That A**HOLE cut us off in traffic on the way home.
Our bodies have officially moved into our fight or flight mode (also called fight, flight, or freeze) and is preparing us for the worst. The only thing is this is not helpful in many of these daily scenarios. Why is that? The key reason is our prefrontal cortex (the more logical part of your brain) starts to get overridden by other parts of our brains. It’s harder to think clearly and stay calm.
What can we do? Well, one key strategy we can implement is to control our breathing. The science behind this is straightforward. By controlling your breathing, you are consciously moving out of the fight or flight response back into the calmer state. This allows your prefrontal cortex to resume control again.
The following are three popular breathing exercises to help us calm down. It is important to practice them regularly. Even if it is once a day (less than a minute!), it can help. That way, when you really are stressed out and anxious and try these breathing techniques, you have formed the habit.
Getting Prepared:
It is best to sit in a chair or lie down on your back in a comfortable state.
When breathing make sure your chest and stomach are rising as this is deep breathing.
If only your best is rising, you are more likely having shallow breathing.
4-7-8 Breathing Technique
This technique is based on pranayama breathing exercises, an ancient yoga practice of controlling one’s breath.
What to do:
Breathe in for four (4) seconds.
Hold your breath for seven (7) seconds.
Exhale for eight seconds (8) making a whooshing sound by putting your tongue behind your front teeth.
Repeat at least four times and you should begin to feel calmer.
Box Breathing
This one was made popular by the U.S. Navy Seals, so why not try it out yourself!
What to do:
-Breathe in for four (4) seconds.
-Hold your breath for four (4) seconds.
-Exhale for four (4) seconds.
-Again, hold your breath for four (4) seconds.
-Repeat 5-6 times or longer if needed.
Equal Time Breathing
A simpler option but still effective is where you breathe in and out for an equal amount of time. Over time you can increase how long you are able to breathe in and out.
What to do:
Breathe in through your nose for five (5) seconds
Breath out through your nose for five (5) seconds
Repeat 5 times.
So give this a try and see what happens. Remember, practice this regularly to increase the effectiveness.
Are you struggling with anxiety and stress in your life? Consider anxiety counseling with us. We use research based approaches to helping you get relief. We offer free 15-minute consultations to answer any questions you may have. If you are in the Las Vegas, NV area, come see us at the office in-person. We also have telehealth for all of Nevada, California, and Virginia.
Dr. Philip B. Gnilka is the Clinical Director and Founder of Sequoia Counseling Group, a boutique mental health practice that serves clients in Las Vegas, NV. His experience as a tenured professor in mentoring students about counseling approaches and theories reinforced his passion for helping individual clients directly. He specializes in anxiety, stress management, and perfectionism.