I hated hearing, “Breathe… just breathe.” In fact, in the beginning breathing to calm me amped me up.
When someone is feeling worried or stressed, being told to “just breathe” can sometimes have the opposite of the intended effect and make anxiety or agitation worse. There are several reasons for this. It can seem like the person saying it doesn’t understand the seriousness of the person’s feelings; they are oversimplifying the struggle.
Drawing attention to breathing problems can make someone who is already struggling because of anxiety feel like they can’t get enough air. Suddenly, paying a lot of attention to their breathing can also make some people feel more self-conscious and anxious about their physical symptoms. Also, being told to breathe a certain way can overwhelm someone and make them feel even more stressed about doing it right. Just thinking about breathing doesn’t necessarily help with the leading causes of a person’s anxiety or stress. It can even make some people breathe too fast and make their anxiety worse. Lastly, when someone is already feeling out of control because of fear, being told what to do can worsen that feeling.
Instead of giving orders, offering support and understanding and inquiring about how you can assist is often more beneficial. If you suggest breathing exercises, it’s crucial to introduce them gently and with assistance, acknowledging that they might not be effective for everyone. This approach, rooted in empathy and understanding, can be more supportive and less likely to exacerbate the person’s anxiety.
My mom will usually just start breathing a certain way without saying anything, and I can follow her lead.
In our fast-paced, always-connected world, finding moments of stillness and reflection can seem like an impossible luxury. Let’s explore how incorporating these practices into our daily lives can lead to profound positive changes.
Deep breathing offers several benefits for mental clarity:
Deep breathing has several significant effects on anxiety levels:
- Activates the parasympathetic nervous system: Deep breathing triggers the body’s relaxation response by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps counteract the fight-or-flight response associated with anxiety
- Reduces physical symptoms of anxiety: Controlled deep breathing can lower blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension, which are common physical manifestations of anxiety.
- Improves oxygenation: Deep breathing increases oxygen flow throughout the body, which can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
- Breaks the anxiety cycle: By focusing on slow, deep breaths, you can interrupt the cycle of anxious thoughts and physical symptoms, helping to calm both the mind and body.
- Lowers stress hormone levels: Regular deep breathing practice can reduce levels of stress hormones in the blood, contributing to an overall sense of calm.
- Enhances mindfulness: Deep breathing exercises often incorporate mindfulness techniques, which can help you stay present and reduce anxiety about future events or past experiences.
- Provides a sense of control: Having a tool like deep breathing at your disposal can give you a sense of control over your anxiety symptoms, which itself can be calming.
- Improves overall stress management: Practicing deep breathing techniques can enhance your ability to manage stress and anxiety. To practice deep breathing for anxiety relief, try techniques like belly breathing, counted breathing, or visualized breathing. These exercises can be done anywhere and at any time, making them great tools for managing anxiety in various situations.
- Enhanced decision-making: With a calmer mind and reduced stress levels, deep breathing can contribute to better decision-making abilities.
- Improved memory: The increased oxygen flow to the brain resulting from deep breathing may help improve memory function.
TODAY’S NOTE: “I can tell you I avoided trying breathing techniques for years because seriously telling someone to calm down, especially me, never helped me to calm down. Your energy with my energy will help me. If I am on high speed, slow your roll and be my mirror instead. ” – In Solidarity, Liz
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