Our favorite breathing tools for anxiety
I’ll just come out and say it. Anxiety is a bitch. I have loved ones close to me who struggle with it regularly, and it’s a bitch. This awful feeling where your body is telling you that something is incredibly wrong– but your logical mind knows there’s nothing. You could be sitting reading a book, then you begin to ruminate on these thoughts… Anxiety is connected to insomnia, depression, digestive issues, and tons of other poor health outcomes. While it’s ok to have anxiety sometimes, these episodes can become frequent and debilitating. While it’s best to contact your physician about ways to cope with anxiety, there are some breathing exercises that can help.
It’s easy to take breathing for granted, but breathing plays an incredible role in your emotional and mental health. You’ll notice how interconnected the breath is with the rest of the body. When you’re angry you breathe faster and higher in the chest, when you’re relaxed you breathe slower and deeper. Anxiety attacks are marked by the rapid fire thoughts and the increase in the rate of breath, this is your body physically reacting to the ‘danger’ sense that it’s receiving. Your body literally thinks you’re in danger. By beginning to learn how to control these breathing patterns, you can start to wrench back control from your anxiety.
There are many different breathing exercises for anxiety but here are three of the most effective:
The 4-7-8
A classic breathing pattern; it involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding your breath for 7, and exhaling for 8. It lowers your heart rate and blood pressure, which will help handle anxious feelings.
The belly breath
A deep belly breath, starting with the diaphragm and pulling outwards slowly can regulate the body’s response to stress. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system and can ease you into deep relaxation. Sometimes it helps to place your hand on your belly and focus on pushing against it with your breath.
Box breathing
Box breathing is another pattern in which you inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4. The repetitive nature of the numbers gives your mind something to latch on to when it feels like you’re about to be swept away by your thoughts. You can repeat this cycle a few times.
Practice makes perfect!
These exercises don’t only help in the midst of an attack. You should practice them regularly, so when your thoughts are flying by like racecars, you can ease yourself into one of these exercises. Try setting aside a few minutes a day, make them a part of your daily routine. You shouldn’t have to think about the exercise. You won’t be able to think when you need these exercises the most, so make sure they’re automatic! You don’t want to be thinking “oh was it 5 seconds or 6??”
Regular practice will improve your resilience against stressors, improve your sleep quality and reduce your overall axniousness.
Breathing exercises can be an excellent way for dealing with anxiety in the moment– however if you experience levels of stress like this often, then please seek professional help from a doctor or physician. There’s no harm in asking for help, this is a real condition, and requires real supervision. Please don’t think it’s not real or something to be ashamed of.
These breathing exercises can provide excellent protection as well as relief for anxiety, and it’s a great idea to incorporate them into your everyday routine.
