It’s natural for women to feel anxious or stressed every now and then. However, although it’s a normal part of life, feeling anxious can bring our world to a screeching halt until we take care of our mental health. When you feel totally overwhelmed, the best thing you can do for your mind and body is to inhale and exhale, allowing your mind to collect your thoughts and release pent up stress. Breathing, the subconscious thing you do all the time, can be your anxiety’s worst enemy.
Here are three safe and easy breathing exercises to help calm you down, refocus and get back to living your life.
1 Calm Breathing
According to AnxietyBC, “Calm breathing (sometimes called ‘diaphragmatic breathing’) is a technique that helps you slow down your breathing when feeling stressed or anxious. Newborn babies naturally breathe this way, and singers, wind instrument players and yoga practitioners use this type of breathing.”
For about four seconds, breathe slowly and deeply through the nose.
Hold your breath for a few seconds.
For another four seconds, exhale slowly through the mouth.
Wait a few seconds, then take another breath and repeat.
2 Belly Breathing
According to Anxiety Coach, “Feeling like ‘I can’t catch my breath!’ is probably the most common of all panic symptoms…When you feel like you can’t catch your breath, it’s because you forgot to do something. You forgot to exhale.”
Place one hand above your belt and another over your breastbone. Use your hand to recognize which muscles you are using to breathe.
Sigh gently and allow your upper body to relax as you exhale.
Close your mouth and pause briefly.
With your mouth still closed, inhale slowly through the nose by pushing your stomach out.
Anxiety Coach advises that you “Pause briefly for whatever time feels comfortable. However, be aware that when you breathe this way, you are taking larger breaths than you’re used to. For this reason, it’s necessary to breathe more slowly than usual. If you breathe at the same rate you use with your small, shallow breaths, you will probably feel a little lightheaded from over breathing, and it might make you yawn. Neither is harmful. They’re just signals to slow down. Follow them!”
Exhale through your mouth by pulling your belly in.
Pause and repeat.
3 Alternate Nostril Breathing
According to TIME, alternate nostril breathing works best during “crunch time, or whenever it’s time to focus or energize.”
Find a comfortable position to sit in. Hold your right thumb over your right nostril and inhale through the left nostril.
Before you exhale, close off your left nostril and breathe out through the right.
Continue breathing in and out through alternate nostrils.
Don’t allow anxiety to take over your life. When you feel panic and anxiety start to rear their heads, choose one of these three breathing exercises and take control of your body and mind.
