Breathing exercises to calm anxiety

  • Jul 26, 2021
click fraud protection
Breathing exercises to calm anxiety

Unfortunately, more and more people suffer from anxiety problems, this is due to their hectic routines of the day to day and / or because it is simply 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 one already suffers from a disorder, through psychotherapy it can be controlled in a very effective way. That is why in this Psychology-Online article, we are going to let you know some breathing exercises to calm anxiety that will help you a lot in your day to day if you practice them constantly.

You may also like: Yoga for anxiety: benefits and exercises

Index

  1. Relationship between breathing and relaxation
  2. Diaphragmatic breathing technique
  3. Breathing exercises for anxiety: the bumblebee technique
  4. Alternate breathing technique

Relationship between breathing and relaxation.

It is highly recommended, whether an anxiety disorder is present or not, to practice breathing exercises on a day-to-day basis to calm our anxiety levels. Today there are many breathing techniques that are useful to help relieve anxiety and to help the person learn to relax. Breathing properly also allows the person to

improve your mood and cope with day-to-day difficulties 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.

Breathing exercises to calm anxiety - Relationship between breathing and relaxation

Diaphragmatic breathing technique.

The diaphragmatic breathing technique is one of the most used in psychotherapy due to its excellent results in relieving symptoms of stress and anxiety in people. Is relaxation technique through breathing It can be done anywhere, even if you are around many people, obviously without having to close the eyes and do as if there were no one else, however it is recommended that you also practice alone to further reinforce the practice. Next we are going to mention what are the steps that must be followed to carry it out alone:

  1. Sit in a comfortable chair with the straight back but at the same time relaxed, a hug supported on one leg and put the other hand on the abdomen.
  2. Close your eyes and start inhale slowly and deeply.
  3. Hold your breath a few seconds (approximately 5 or more)
  4. Exhale through your mouth slowly.
  5. Repeat the process as many times as necessary until you feel calmer.
Breathing Exercises to Calm Anxiety - Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique

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 bumblebee respiration since it refers to a type of bee from India and because of the way the technique is carried out since a very similar sound is emitted when it is performed. Next, we are going to let you know in detail how you can practice it without first mentioning that it is advisable to do it in a private place due to the sound you have to emit.

  1. Get in a comfortable place whether you are standing, sitting or lying down, keeping the back straight but relaxed.
  2. Close your eyes and keep your body relaxed.
  3. Keep the relaxed jaw, close your lips slightly and make sure your teeth are slightly apart.
  4. Cover your eyes and ears with your thumbs or index fingers and press lightly.
  5. Fix all your attention in the center of your head and try not to make any movement with your body.
  6. Inhale and exhale slowly producing at the same time a deep and constant hum.
  7. Repeat this exercise between 4 and 7 times until you notice how your body feels more relaxed and a feeling of peace begins to invade you
Breathing Exercises to Calm Anxiety - Breathing Exercises for Anxiety: The Bumblebee Technique

Alternate breathing technique.

The alternate breathing technique or better called "Nadi Shodhan", helps us calm the mind because it is said to allow us to unblock our energy channels.

This technique is very interesting since it tells us that, when we have some of our nostrils blocked, one of our hemispheres of the brain They cannot function correctly so we can generate certain disorders that limit us when it comes to wanting to perform our tasks daily. For example, if our right nostril is blocked, we will feel more stressed and anxious. When it comes to the left nostril, the one that is more obstructed, we feel more tired and unmotivated.

This breathing exercise to calm anxiety helps us to reopen those energy channels that are obstructed 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:

  1. In a quiet place without distractions, get into a comfortable posture with your back straight and your shoulders relaxed.
  2. Cover the right hole of your nose with the thumb of your right hand and at the same time breathe through the left nostril, counting slowly from 1 to 5.
  3. Now cap also the left hole and keep the air counting equally from 1 to 5.
  4. Release the right hole and push the air out slowly, counting from 1 to 8.
  5. Inhale through the right nostril and count from 1 to 5 as you do so.
  6. Plug your 2 nostrils again and hold the air by counting slowly From 1 to 5.
  7. Repeat the exercise as many times as necessary until you feel that both holes are released.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Breathing exercises to calm anxiety, we recommend that you enter our category of Meditation and relaxation.

instagram viewer