Deep breathing has always helped people deal with their anxiety. Have you ever been close to a panic attack and needed to calm down? These breathing exercises might be able to help.
Breathing Exercises:
- Breath Moving – While taking in deep breaths imagine that the air is slowly being taken in from the top of your head and down your spine as you exhale. You should do these in cycles of at least ten to get the full effect.
- Resistance Breathing – Press your lips and tighten your throat muscles as you exhale each time. This can be done easily by breathing through a plastic straw.
- Coherent Breathing – This is pretty much the same thing as deep breathing and should be done in groups of five. This should help with your heart rate.
- Abdominal Breathing – Leaving one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach take in a deep breath through your nose. Be sure that your breath is deep enough that your chest inflates. Do this six to ten times per minute for at least ten minutes.
Doing these exercises when flustered will hopefully help you relax and become more comfortable in most situations. I have found that these can help before exams, or even when being given bad news. Just breathe.