Breathing away your anxiety

Shallow breathing can help bring on, or make anxiety and panic attacks worse. Learning proper breathing techniques can help you not only help you relax, but they can also help ease your overall anxiety.

How do you know if your breathing properly?

1. Start off by laying flat on your back. You can also sit up straight in a chair.
2. Place one hand on your stomach, and one hand on your chest
3. Breathe as you normally would, and observe which hand a rises and falls. If you are breathing properly, the hand on your chest will be almost still stay while the one on your stomach will rise slightly when breathe in and lower when you exhale.

How can can breath to relax your body?

1. Stay on your back or stay sitting straight up in your chair.
2. Start to slowly breathe in through your nose to the count of 4 into your lower stomach. The hand on your Stomach will gently push up with your stomach.
3. Hold the breath for a count of 4.
4. Slowly exhale through your mouth counting to 4. you should feel the hand on your stomach slowly lowering.
5. Repeat this process for five to ten minutes.

The more you practice your breating exercises the easier it will be for you to continue breathing this way, throughout the day. These breathing Exercises can also help you when you are starting to feel anxious and can actually stop a panic attack in it’s tracks.