Here are three things that will effectively help you manage anxiety immediately.
You know this. Simple doesn’t always mean easy, But these solutions to stress, anxiety, and the WHOOSH of a dysregulated nervous system — the kind that happens for any reason whatsoever — ARE super easy!
Some of you may have had me go over these in a one-to-one session, but running through them is always a good reminder.
You are going to LOVE the third one. I left the easiest and most effective one for last.
You can do any of them right now to manage any type of anxiety.
That’s because they use your breath, a thing you have with you always. And look, don’t knock it until you TRY it. Sometimes people skip the simplest things, am I right?
Too bad because, in life, the simple, guiding principles are really the easiest to follow. The same is true of breath work. You always have this resource, even in the middle of a panic attack.
(I’m doing the first one right now as I’m writing this. Not kidding. I’m doing it because my honey is making a racket in the kitchen while I’m trying to think. Grrrrr 😉 Stay tuned to see how well it works.)
Calming Breath works within minutes to lower anxiety.
Use this one when you’re agitated but not having a panic attack. It will work for calming a panic attack, but the other two are more effective and faster for that. Here it is:
Breathe in for a count of THREE.
Exhale for a count of SIX.
Do this for as many controlled rounds as you like until you come to a state of calm.
The KEY is to EXHALE twice as long as you inhale.
That means you can INCREASE the Inhale to FOUR and the exhale to EIGHT once the breath is controlled. I love to start with THREE and SIX because they are EASIER. (I love to make things simple AND easy when possible.)
Why it works
This calming breath stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of your nervous system that controls your smooth muscles: your internal organs and digestion. This portion of your nervous system is associated with CALM and conservation of energy. Doing this will actually lower your heart rate, and your blood pressure.
Activating this “rest and digest” portion of your nervous system overrides the “fight or flight” response associated with your sympathetic nervous system. Activation of the sympathetic nervous system accompanies anxiety and any version of anxiety, so overriding it is key to reversal.
(I did this one while I was typing, and guess what? The man’s cooking noises are no longer interfering with my thought process. Not even a little!)
Box Breathing is recommended for relieving anxiety
This one is good for fairly high anxiety. It takes more concentration than the Calming Breath, but focusing on it is part of the charm of why it works so well.
You do not have to do this one perfectly to start, just make the effort, and soon you’ll be holding steady on the structure of this controlled breathing method. Here it is:
- Breathe in for a count of THREE
- Hold your breath for a count of THREE
- Exhale for a count of THREE.
- Hold your breath for a count of THREE.
If you want an even greater effect, you can motion with your hand:
- UP as you breathe in
- OVER as you hold your breath
- DOWN the other side as you exhale.
- OVER to complete the BOX as you hold your breath at the bottom.
Hence, the name, Box Breathing.
Again, you can increase the “size” of your box to FOUR counts if you’d like. I start at THREE because it’s much easier. You can increase to FOUR as your nervous system calms down.
Why it works
Again, this kind of breathing stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system and inspires calm. But when you are having fairly high anxiety, it can be difficult to “wait” for the effects of Calming Breath. So, having something to concentrate on — the box — increases its effectiveness.
In addition, holding your breath expands absorption of oxygen in your system and that helps your parasympathetic nervous system activate even faster and more effectively.
The third technique to try takes almost no thought or concentration. You just have to DO IT. It is, by far, the most effective and easiest method to counter the symptoms of anxiety, nerves, or a full-blown panic attack. You can do it anywhere, undetected. Here it is:
Bearing Down is magic for anxiety management
Yup. That means just what you think it means. Bear down as you would if you were trying to push a poop out! (But don’t poop your pants, of course.) Or ladies, if you’ve given birth, this is exactly the action you use when you’re pushing the baby out.
Take a breath. Hold it. Bear down: put pressure on your rectal and undercarriage area. Then release and breathe normally.
Repeat until the severity of anxiety lessens. It really shouldn’t take all that long. Two minutes, maybe three. Then, if you’d like, you can continue with one of the other breathing options.
Why it works
Like the others, this action stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. It does so by activating the vagas nerve, the body’s longest cranial nerve extending between the brainstem and your gut. This nerve is the most important one you possess for the “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system. Stimulating it is KEY to a quick change in your dysregulation or activation.
And, it works DURING a full-blown panic attack within THREE minutes. If you’ve ever had a panic attack, you know that three minutes of doing something that will help is so much better than trying to think your way out of it. (Pssst, you can’t think your way out of a panic attack. You have to change your breathing.)
What else can you do to manage anxiety?
These three breathing/body methods might be all you need in order to cope with life stress and any dysregulation that comes up.
(I hear you asking, Is Bearing Down really a breathing technique? My answer: Well, you hold your breath and then release it. So, I say, yes, it is. And, for the record, Die Hard IS a Christmas movie. 😉 )
Having a healthy vagas nerve is super important.
When it’s fully functional, it can mean the difference between being caught off guard and trying to manage in the moment, versus building your resilience to a normal environment.
With a healthy vagas nerve, you’ll know and feel confident that you can meet ANY challenge that arises.
There are so many other things you can do to regulate a “fight or flight” response. But I don’t mean talking through it. (You also don’t have to re-live any traumatic experience in order to heal it.) Remember, we do NOT want to rehearse our pain. That intensifies it and just serves to make it worse and make us less resilient.
Look, there are ALWAYS reasons your nervous system becomes more sensitive and that your awareness of danger is heightened. You came by that response for very good reasons.
But I’m also not talking about figuring out where the anxiety comes from or how and why it originated.
Talking through the WHY of it all is NOT what it takes to heal.
No one anywhere has EVER thought up a solution to a problem by using the thinking that caused it. (That’s Einstein, not me, but we agree on this one.;-) )
The Key to a Healthy vagas nerve is simpler than you think. The three ways of using your breath absolutely will help. But if something is more troubling than you can manage on your own, or you want support learning and making these skills part of your everyday routine, I can help.
If you’re having any kind of dysregulation, there’s a solution.
There might be a chance for you to get in to see me on either Monday, December 22, or December 29. GO HERE to check the Schedule and make an appointment.
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