Unfortunately, more and more people are suffering from anxiety problems, this is due to their hectic day-to-day routines and / or simply that it is very difficult for them to manage those annoying emotions that may arise.
When you suffer from this type of problem and even when an anxiety disorder is already present, it is important to start eradicating it. In cases where you already have a disorder, through psychotherapy can be controlled in a very effective way. That is why in this HealthProTips article, we are going to introduce you to some breathing exercises to calm the anxiety that will help you a lot in your day-to-day life if you practice them constantly.
Relationship between breathing and relaxation
It is highly recommended whether or not an anxiety disorder is present, to practice breathing exercises on a daily basis to calm our anxiety levels. Today there are many breathing techniques that are useful to help relieve anxiety and for the person to learn to relax. Breathing properly also allows the person to improve their mood and deal with the difficulties of the day to day in a more effective way. This is because it activates the mechanisms of our body responsible for maintaining a good state of relaxation: the parasympathetic nervous system.
Diaphragmatic breathing technique
The technique of diaphragmatic breathing is one of the most used in psychotherapy due to its excellent results when it comes to alleviating the symptoms of stress and anxiety in people. This technique of relaxation through breathing can be done anywhere, even if you are around many people, obviously without having to close your eyes and do as if there were nobody, however it is advisable that you practice also alone to reinforce more the practice. Next we will mention what are the steps that must be followed to carry it out alone:
- Sit in a comfortable chair with your back straight but at the same time relaxed, a hug supported on one leg and put the other hand on the abdomen.
- Close your eyes and begin to inhale slowly and deeply.
- Hold your breath for a few seconds (approximately 5 or more)
- Exhale through the mouth slowly.
- Repeat the process as many times as necessary until you feel calmer.
Breathing exercises for anxiety: the bumblebee technique
One of the best breathing exercises to calm anxiety is this curious technique.
The bumblebee technique has been created and used in India for thousands of years in order to calm the mind. It is called bumble bee breathing because it refers to a type of bee from India and the way to carry out the technique since it emits a very similar sound when it is made. Then, we will let you know in detail how you can practice without first mentioning that it is advisable to do it in a private place because of the sound you have to emit.
- Put yourself in a comfortable place whether you are standing, sitting or lying down, keeping your back straight but relaxed.
- Close your eyes and keep your body relaxed.
- Keep your jaw relaxed, close your lips slightly and make sure your teeth are slightly separated.
- Cover your eyes and ears with your thumbs or index fingers and press lightly.
- Fix all your attention in the center of your head and try not to make any movement with the body.
- Inhale and exhale slowly producing a deep and constant hum at the same time.
- Repeat this exercise between 4 and 7 times until you notice how your body feels more relaxed and begins to invade a sense of peace
Alternating breathing technique
The technique of alternate breathing or better called “Nadi Shodhan”, helps us to calm the mind because it is said that it allows us to unblock our energy channels.
This technique is very interesting because it tells us that when we have some of our nostrils clogged, some of our hemispheres of the brain cannot work correctly so we can generate certain disorders that limit us when we want to perform our daily tasks. For example, if our right nostril is blocked, we will feel more stressed and anxious. When it comes to the left nostril which is more obstructed we feel more tired and unmotivated.
This breathing exercise to calm the anxiety helps us to reopen those energy channels that are clogged so that we can feel calmer and increase our well-being and emotional balance. The steps to follow to carry it out are the following:
- In a quiet place with no distractions, place yourself in a comfortable position with your back straight and your shoulders relaxed.
- Cover the right nostrilof your nose with your thumb of the right hand and at the same time breathe through the left nostril, counting from 1 to 5.
- Now alsocover the left hole and keep the air counting equally from 1 to 5.
- Release the right hole and expel the air slowly there counting from 1 to 8.
- Inhale with the right hole and count from 1 to 5 while doing it.
- Cover your 2 nostrils again and hold the air counting slowly from 1 to 5.
- Repeat the exercise as many times as necessary until you feel that both holes are released.
This article is purely informative, in HealthProTips we do not have the faculty to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
