People often use breathing exercises for anxiety. This is important because people who experience anxiety attacks often breathe quickly and shallowly from their chest.
By lowering blood pressure, promoting a sense of calm and relaxation, and reducing stress, controlled breathing techniques for anxiety can help maintain physical and mental health.
Although the long-term benefits of breathing exercises for anxiety have not been fully explored (at least in controlled clinical settings), many experts believe that breathing can be used to improve awareness, cultivate mindfulness, and practice yoga. We recommend that you begin your journey to
breathing exercises for anxiety
When you incorporate simple breathing exercises into your daily routine, you will notice significant improvements.
Even non-experts can learn quickly. Are you ready to use the power of your breath both inside and out? Here are 6 Breathing Techniques for Anxiety.
1) Equal breathing
This breathing technique for anxiety is especially helpful before bed. This breathing helps me focus on something other than getting a good night’s sleep.
Here’s how to do this exercise:
- Start by finding a comfortable position to sit or lie down comfortably.
- You can open or close your eyes.
- After taking 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts.
- The nose naturally adds a small amount of resistance to your breath, so you should use your nose for all inhalations and exhalations.
- Once you’ve mastered it, try 6-8 counts per breath.
2) Lion’s Breath
Lion’s breath is another effective deep breathing exercise. Reduce stress, relax facial muscles, and increase heart efficiency. This breathing technique is best done by sitting comfortably, leaning forward, and hands on the floor or knees.
Here’s how the exercise works.
- Extend as far as your fingers will allow.
- Breathe in gently through your nose.
- Open your lips wide and stick your tongue out and down toward your chin.
- Exhale forcefully and pass the breath through the base of the tongue.
- As you inhale, make a deep “ahh” sound from your stomach. Breathe normally for a while.
- You can repeat the lion’s breath up to 7 times.
3) Take a deep breath
Before you get out of bed and start your day, try some morning breathing exercises. It relieves muscle stiffness and helps you start your day in a calm and energized way. He repeats this exercise throughout the day when he has an anxiety attack.
- Bend your knees slightly to stand up and lean forward from your hips.
- Let your arms hang at your sides.
- Take a deep breath and come back to the standing position, finally lifting your head.
- Hold your breath for a moment.
- Exhale slowly and bend forward from your hips to return to the starting position.
4) Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique
Progressive muscle relaxation breathing exercises work best when sitting at home, at work, or in the car. You can get rid of stress.
To do the exercises:
- Close your eyes and focus on tensing and relaxing each muscle group for 2-3 seconds.
- Start with your feet and toes, then knees, thighs, glutes, chest, arms, hands, neck, chin, and eyes.
- Continue to take long, deep breaths throughout the exercise.
5) Aalternating nostril breathing
Do you have a lot of deadlines to meet at work? Use this breathing exercise to relieve anxiety to regain your focus and energy. You may benefit from it and feel more awake and aware.
To do the exercises:
- Sit comfortably and begin your meditation practice.
- Extend your dominant hand and extend your ring finger, little finger, and thumb while pressing the tips of your index and middle fingers into your palm.
- Press the outside of one nostril with your thumb up in front of your face.
- Open one nostril and take a deep breath.
- Release your thumbs as you inhale. Place your ring finger outside the other nostril and exhale.
- Repeat this cycle for 1-2 minutes, then switch sides and breathe in through the nose you are used to exhaling into and out through your nose.
- Use both nostrils equally when inhaling and exhaling.
6) 4-7-8 breathing method
An alternative to even breathing that can help you fall asleep faster is the 4-7-8 breathing exercise for anxiety. The focus is on teaching you how to
Here’s how the exercise works.
- Start by finding a comfortable position to sit or lie down comfortably. You can open or close your eyes.
- As you exhale, place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Slowly open your mouth and exhale completely.
- Breathe out through your nose quietly for four times, keeping your mouth closed.
- Exhale slowly for a count of 7.
- Last but not least, exhale slowly and take 8 counts to return to the bottom of your breath.
- Complete 4 repetitions and gradually increase to 8 repetitions.
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One of the powerful tools for dealing with everyday tensions and anxieties is breathing exercises for anxiety. Once you’ve mastered the technique of controlled breathing, you’ll likely start feeling better. You may find yourself having a little more grace and resilience.
You may soon start using these breathing techniques for anxiety. Set aside a certain amount of time at least once or twice a week. Try them out and see if anything works.
Janvi Kapur is a Counselor with a Master of Applied Psychology degree specializing in Clinical Psychology.
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