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Breathing to Help You Deal With Anxiety

Whether it's for all the pent-up stress from work or the early onset of depression, all you really need is breathing to help you deal with anxiety.

By George HermanPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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At the root core of meditation is the control of your breathing, hence your mind is relaxed and your spirit renewed. But it doesn't always come that easily, because you are unfortunately preforming your breathing in an irregular fashion. In fact, the very way you breathe stipulates much about your mental and physical states, seen most acutely in exercising. Weight trainers always stress the importance of controlled breathing, because not only does it help stimulate your muscles, it also keeps your mind on the prize.

While tapping for anxiety does greatly help, and if you don't know how this would be a great time to learn, but it doesn't have a 100 percent healing factor like proper breathing. If you suffer from anxiety, which can be adopted through a whole realm of possibilities, you could be suffering from breathing issues, like shallow, monitored, and over-breathing. This is why utilizing breathing to help you deal with anxiety will renew your inner body, refuel your senses, and enlighten your overall mood. Hence, anxiety gone.

To begin, I ask that you please smile (with feeling, please) as you send an open letter to your anxiety.

Natural Breathing

To rid yourself of an oncoming panic attack, use natural breathing to help you deal with anxiety before it takes over your mind. It's one of the most common breathing exercises, yet it's powerful in relaxing the muscles and resetting your center of emotion.

First, it's important to be seated in a space of comfort before you begin. Through your nose, gently breathe in a normal amount of air, bringing it to your lower lungs, which would expand your stomach, then slowly and easily exhale it out. Repeat this process for however long you feel is necessary, keeping your attitude relaxed and your focus on filling your lower lungs.

Advanced Deep Breathing

Expect for an extended period of time, like 15 to 20 minutes, to perform this technique, as it is an advanced form of breathing to help you deal with anxiety. After you find a comfortable sitting position, relax the muscles and begin to monitor your heartbeat as so:

First, inhale as you count 5 heartbeats, then hold your breath counting 7 heartbeats, then exhale for a total of 9 heartbeats. When breathing in, keep in mind that you're inhaling through your stomach first, then your chest. Please be careful, and if you are prone to heart problems, it's best to steer clear from this breathing technique.

Calming Breath

Feeling anxious or have a rapid heartbeat? Calming breath, as it's called, can alleviate these tensions, rapidly bringing your mind back to comfort and ease. This is breathing to help you deal with anxiety, but it also changes negative thoughts and assists in mental concentration.

To perform, simply take one long, slow breath through your nose to fill your lower lungs, then bring it up to your upper lungs. Count to three while holding your breath, then exhale through pursed lips with casual relaxation in the muscles of your stomach, jaw, face, and shoulders.

Co2 Rebreathing

Interestingly, this technique is a type of breathing to help you deal with anxiety by recycling carbon dioxide back into your system, restoring Co2 for a regained sense of balance that alleviates hyperventilation. Carbon dioxide can control your breathing.

Get in a comfortable seated position and cup your hands over your mouth. As you breathe slowly into your closed palms, don't overexert your lungs or break your hands apart. Keep breathing like this until your Co2 and carbon dioxide levels are back to normal.

Deep Relaxation Breathing

For a mind shared with anxiety and depression, relaxation breathing can be an immense tactic, simply because there are a multitude of ways to perform it.

Sit in a chair, remaining as comfortable as possible. Take a 6-second long deep breath in through your nose, hold for a few seconds, then slowly breathe out for 7 seconds. Do this for a total of 10 times, and soon you will be in the moment, soothing yourself through an ancient technique of mental relaxation breathing.

Calming Counts

As always, this technique is all about comfortability. Like meditation, find a suitable place to sit without distraction or discomfort before beginning. Take one long breath in, exhale slowly as you silently whisper "relax" to yourself. Shut your eyes as you move into this motion, accepting ten easy breaths and counting down from 10 in each exhale.

As you descend the numerals to one, try to both find and loosen all of the stiffest parts of your body through imagination, then open your eyes when you reach "one." Calming counts works your mind in a number of ways, like breathing to help you deal with anxiety, but it also helps to control your thoughts.

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About the Creator

George Herman

Call me a nerd, that’s what I am: Star Wars fanatic, Grand Theft Auto champion, comic book connoisseur, and a long-time lyricist. So, call me a nerd, but that’s not all I am!

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