Managing Anxiety: A Simple Breathing Exercise

Are you feeling anxious? If so, you are not alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, roughly 18% of adults in the U.S. will experience some type of anxiety disorder in any given 12-month period. Given that stress is a natural and expected part of life, all of us have to contend with unpleasant feelings of anxiety, at least from time to time. Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce anxiety. One amazing resource is available to you at all times—no matter where you are or what you are doing. That is your breath.

I received my first breathing lesson as a child on the day of my first piano recital. All my anticipatory excitement suddenly turned to dread when the actual day of the recital came. Alarmed by my nervous stomach, trembling hands, dry mouth, and fears of public embarrassment, I sought out my Mom. She gave me a nice little nugget of wisdom. “Look, here’s what you do,” she said. “When it’s your turn, stand up and take a nice deep breath in and out. Take another deep breath as you’re walking up to the stage. Then when you sit down at the piano, take one more, and then you’ll be ready to play.” Happy to have a specific strategy, I committed it to memory, along with the well-rehearsed Bach Minuet in G. During my few minutes of fame, the nervousness didn’t go away entirely, but those three breaths brought the anxiety into a manageable range. My child self was delighted. I still think of this as the magic of three deep breaths. Thanks, Mom! Good for job interviews, trips to the dentist, time deadlines, traffic jams and whatever all else is stressful.

A slightly more structured technique is called 4-7-8 breathing. Here’s how to do it:

* Begin by exhaling fully through your mouth.

* With your mouth closed and the tip of your tongue resting against the ridge of tissue behind your upper front teeth, breath in through your nose for a count of 4.

* Hold this breath for a count of 7.

* Keeping your tongue in place, open your mouth and breathe out for a count of 8, making a “whooshing” sound as you exhale.

* Repeat for a total of 4 breath cycles.

If you consistently practice this technique twice a day it will have a significant calming effect on your nervous system. Consistency is the key. Please note: more is not better! Do not do more than 4 breath cycles at a time. If you are struggling with distressing levels of anxiety or panic, you may feel skeptical that something this simple could be of help. But what’s to lose? This technique takes about three minutes a day, and the benefits can be profound. I invite you to try it for a month and see what happens.

For more information, please see this VIDEO .

 

Written by Elena Walker, MA, LPCC