Diaphragmatic Breathing: A Prescription for Reducing Anxiety/Stress
I’ve heard someone living with PTSD describe their hypervigilance, or feeling alarmed and on edge, as “being stuck in the feeling you get when someone jumps from behind you and scares you.” Being hyper-alert, on guard, and ready to fight can be extremely helpful in preserving your life when you meet danger face-to-face. But, on the flip-side, most of us don’t face danger day-to-day and certainly not constantly. Living like that is exhausting and can keep you from enjoying and fully living your life. It can also take a toll on your physical health – stress increases adrenaline which raises your heart rate and blood pressure, and cortisol increases glucose (blood sugar), and alters the immune system and the digestive system.
Medication can help, sure, but there are other effective and quicker ways to reduce this feeling. With regular practice, you can even rewire your brain to help get you unstuck.
One of my favorite methods is diaphragmatic breathing. I like it because it’s always readily available, it’s quick, it’s easy, and it works! When you are stressed, your diaphragm (a muscle that separates your abdominal cavity and your chest cavity) tightens. This sends a message to your brain that you are in ‘danger.’ The point of diaphragmatic breathing is to stretch and relax the diaphragm muscle, which then sends a signal to the brain that you are ‘safe.’
It’s very easy to practice. Give it a shot right now, if you like. You don’t need any materials and you can do it anytime and anywhere. Once you get good, you won’t need your hands on your belly and chest any longer and you’ll be able to do it incognito on the fly.
Place one hand on your belly just above your waistline, and the other hand on your chest. Press down a little with the hand on your belly.
Inhale slowly through your nose so that the hand on your belly is pushed out, while the hand on your chest remains still. Imagine your belly is a balloon that is filling with air.
Breathe in slowly through your nose for 4 counts – “1 – 2 – 3 – 4” and pause for a moment at the top, then exhale slowly through your nose for 4 counts – “1 – 2 – 3 – 4”.
Repeat this for 5 minutes for a minimum of 3 times daily.
Also use it as needed whenever you notice anxiety or physical tension!
