Breathing is one of our bodies most important functions, if we don't breathe we simply cannot live. To put it plainly breathing is our bodies way of taking in air to the lungs and expelling wasteful gasses. Our brain has the ability to send signals to your body that can control the intake of oxygen and your breathing rate depending on your daily activity. For example if you are running your brain will send signals to your lungs to take in shorter shallow breathes to keep up with your exercise. On the flip side when sleeping your body will be taking in much longer deeper breathes to help with a state of relaxation.
On a normal relaxed day a person should be taking in belly breathes. This type of breath fills your lungs with oxygen to the fullest capacity and gives you the best breath possible. It is the type of breathe you will find you get when you are sleeping for example. This type of breathe helps release tension and sends signals around the body to relax. Place your hand on your tummy and breathe in and out a few times. You should notice your belly grow and sink as you inhale and exhale.
However if you are like me when I place my hand on my belly and breathe in and out nothing moves. I am breathing, but down to stress my body has defaulted to what is known as shallow breathing or chest breathing. This is the type of breathing you would typically use for exercise or moments of exertion. However it is also the type of breathing your body uses when feeling stressed or anxious! It causes your breathing to be more rapid than usual, it can cause hyperventilation and more importantly means you are not using your lungs to their full capacity. Your breathes are shorter, shallower and more inefficient!
The great thing is that although in those moments of stress, we may feel like we have lost control of our breathing, but we haven't! We can control our breathing and that is why it is one of the easiest ways to return to a calm state in a moment of panic. Master the breathe and you will find yourself in a much better position!
If you ever feel stressed or anxious and you feel your breathing changing, speeding up, or becoming shallow, talk to yourself and think only about your breathing. Block the problem at hand for a few minutes and think just about your breath. Consciously try to take slower deeper breathes. Breathe in.... Breathe out... Breathe in....Breathe out. Say it to yourself to help you focus. Keep doing this for a few minutes until you feel like you have returned to a more relaxed state of breathing. Breathing like this will send signals to the brain and then to the body to help relax and release tension. In those moments of stress that shift to deeper breathing will automatically help release tension. You will notice from a few simple calm breathes that you will actually feel much more relaxed already. It might not have fixed the problem or the issue causing you stress, but you will feel in a much more calm and rational state to deal with it.
Breathing is such an important part of us as humans and it is a wonderful feature in helping control anxiety, but it doesn't come without practice. Place one hand on your chest and another on your belly. If you find that more often than not you it is your top hand that is moving, you can take some time each day to practice shifting your breathing to your belly. Breathe in and out slowly and deeply and try to shift your breathing from your chest to your belly. Be aware of the movement and with each breath try to fill your lungs to their fullest. It may feel weird at first, and don't push yourself if it makes you feel lightheaded or woozy. Take your time and build it up. The more you practice the easier and more normal it will feel and the easier it will be to control that switch in breathing during those moments of stress. You might find at first when your stressed it takes 5 mins of deep breathing to feel calm, but after practice it might only require a few good breathes to really help you out!
Shifting your breathing from your chest to your belly is a godsend in controlling your anxiety. Remember in those moments of stress that you have control of your breath and you have the ability to calm yourself. Practice makes perfect and before you know it you will be breathing like a pro!
Until next week...
Kirsty x