Crippling anxiety — it strikes when you least expect it, giving us the fear of impending danger. During episodes of severe anxiety, which commonly manifest as panic attacks, disturbing thoughts cloud your mind, leaving you with an array of psychological and physiological symptoms for hours, or in some cases, days.
Aside from the traditional use of psychopharmacological interventions, which some argue may produce negative effects upon long-term use, there are a variety of therapeutic options that may help reduce future episodes of severe anxiety.
Here are four traditional breathing exercises that are bound to put you in full control of your anxiety.
Mindful Breathing
This breathing technique is helpful for slowing your respiration rate.
Find a relaxed position and pay close attention to your breath without adjusting it. Feel the changes (in sensations) that follow each deep breath; the rhythm, texture, and temperature of each breath you take.
Once you’ve done this, continue with even deeper breaths, all the while noticing stress, concerns, and judgments going away after a couple of minutes of mindful breathing.
Breathing Words
If you want something to focus on during your breathing exercises, this technique is probably for you. It is personally one of my favorite for reducing the severity of psychological stress.
This exercise entails adding words to each deep breath to distract your mind from anxiety while also implementing a specific message.
Sit straight on a chair. Rather than speaking the words, visualize breathing them in as you inhale and exhale. For example, breath-in the word “I.” As you hold the inhalation, think “am,” and as you exhale, think of “calm.” Start out by using “I am calm” and once you master it, change it to whatever choice of words makes you more relaxed.
Square Breathing
Square breathing, also known as “four-square breathing,” takes the approach of counting to four while taking deep breaths.
Start off by getting comfortable on a chair. Once you’re sitting in a snug position, breathe-in while counting to four, hold your breath to the count of four, exhale to the count of four, and then take a short break to the count of four. Repeat this exercise for four minutes.
If this technique works for you, try to maximize its efficacy by adding visualizations during your breathing exercises. Envision drawing a four-angled box when counting to four each time. This will keep your mind distracted from any unwanted thoughts.
Balloon Breaths
This is perhaps the most effective technique, in which a lot of people tend to find efficacy with this one. It involves deep, diaphragmatic breaths that can swiftly bring you to a relaxed state of mind.
You start by sitting on a chair or lying flat on the floor. One benefit of lying on the floor is that you can easily feel each diaphragmatic breath as you inhale.
Once you find the right position, place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. As you inhale, notice how your diaphragm expands like a balloon. When exhaling, imagine the balloon flattening and losing all its air.
Do this exercise ten more times.
