Quick stress management technique

[David Baxter PhD]

Managing Stress
Diaphragmatic Breathing

This technique consists of taking three slow breaths to slow things down. Count silently and slowly to three when you breathe in -- through your nose -- and push your stomach out rather than your chest. This allows you to breathe with your diaphragm and to get a deeper breath. Breathe out on a slow count of six -- through your mouth.

The rhythm goes like this:

Breathe in:
........1............2............3

Breathe out:
........1............2............3.............4.............5...........6


Repeat at least two more times.

Be sure that you pace your breath so that you have some breath left by the time you get to six. If you feel light-headed, then just slow it down a bit. Or if you find a count of 6 to be too long, shorten it to 5 or even 4: The important thing is to breathe out a little longer than you breathe in.

Practice this several times each day and you will then have it available in a stressful situation.


Note: I saved this years ago (mid- to late-90s) from somewhere (that was before I got smarter about including the URL in the saved document) and I no longer know the source. It may have been the old MiningCo.com site (now called About.com) but I'm not certain. If anyone knows, please let me know so I can properly credit the source. -- Admin.

 

[Cat Dancer]

This is good. Focusing on my breathing is one of the things I do when I want to self injure. It really does help.

 

[scm24]

I learned this breathing technique a long time ago as a way to cure incurable hiccups. Now I use it to manage my rages. As long as my husband doesn't interrupt my breathing with any enraging remarks, I can actually sometimes breathe my way out of the rage.

 

[Ash]

Thanks for posting that, David. That's the exact same thing my first psychiatrist taught me when I was 15 and I must say IT HELPS!

 

[momof5]

thanks david, I had read before that we actually breath wrong and that through the stomach is the actuall correct way of breathing. lol, not sure if I worded that correctly.

I will practice this and see how it works. I'll let you know.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

The main trick here is: exhale longer or with more effort than you inhale.

 

[momof5]

The main trick here is: exhale longer or with more effort than you inhale.

thank you, I know that I gasp and in so doing, I take in more air. One of the tests that they did once in the er stated that I had too much oxygen in my blood, hence I am hyperventallting of sorts? If that makes sense?

Stress/anxiety. Well if this has been going on for a number of years, then I would say a good deal of this is realted to hubbies relationship with my children. It has just increased lately before the heart failure and now with Karens wedding. He will never change, no matter how many converstions I have had with him in regards to the way it effects the childern and myself.

I just need to learn better ways to cope for myself so that I am good for my children as they need me.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Yes, exactly - It's the same thing that happens to asthmatics -- they feel they "can't get enough air" so they gasp trying to get more IN when the problem is they're not exhaling to make room to inhale.

 

[momof5]

Asthma is one of the things that they originally thought that I had as well as crest, and some sort of lung hardning thing which arises from the raynauds phenom. Thats how they found out I was in heart failure, they did all the breathing tests, which I passed, I just failed the echo cardio gram.

I'm just relieved that its only anxiety, I had feared another heart failure, and since they never found out what caused it, the fear lingers within that its going to happen again, no matter how much I try to watch and try to get exercise.

Well, back to christmas preps.

 

[ThatLady]

Another good thing to try when you get that "air shortage" feeling is to breathe in through your mouth, then exhale slowly through pursed lips (as though you were going to whistle). This is a method used for people suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). You might try it and see if it helps you.

 

[momof5]

wow, that sounds pretty good as well. Thanks I really appreciate your reply.

 

[WishMaster]

Thanks for Posting these techniques David, its very learnful....i really appreciate it and i'll try it as i got stress everyday when dealing with big sum of money at work...

But do you share the same point of views that chocolate help to fight stress? Thanks to keep me posting

WishMaster

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Not sure about chocolate - it's a comfort food - may activate endorphins - dark chocolate is said to be good for the heart and circulatory system...

It's also tasty )

 

[healthbound]

Sing or make noise??

Thanks for reminding me breath! I was feeling anxious and decided to check out the forum and ended up b-r-e-a-t-h-i-n-g. Ahhhh. Calmer.

But sometimes I don't feel like I can calm myself down with breathing techniques. Or I also sometimes feel like I can't get enough air. When these things happen, I try to sing (or something like it) when I exhale. It doesn't even have to be a song - it could simply be "awwwwww" or whatever. I find it helps me connect to my body as well as the present instead of staying with my anxiety. And that helps my lungs relax enough to get proper air and slow down. Singing also gives me something other than the anxiety to concentrate on.

 

[healthbound]

Sing or make noise??

Thanks for reminding me breath! I was feeling anxious and decided to check out the forum and ended up b-r-e-a-t-h-i-n-g. Ahhhh. Calmer.

But sometimes I don't feel like I can calm myself down with breathing techniques. Or I also sometimes feel like I can't get enough air. When these things happen, I try to sing (or something like it) when I exhale. It doesn't even have to be a song - it could simply be "awwwwww" or whatever. I find it helps me connect to my body as well as the present instead of staying with my anxiety. And that helps my lungs relax enough to get proper air and slow down. Singing also gives me something other than the anxiety to concentrate on.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I suspect that's the origin of the "OMMMMMMMMM" chant in yoga or meditation...

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I suspect that's the origin of the "OMMMMMMMMM" chant in yoga or meditation...

 

[sister-ray]

Its good to be remined of how to breath properly, been taught this so many times in relaxation therapy, but sometimes when your in a middle of a panic attack you forget!!

 

[sister-ray]

Its good to be remined of how to breath properly, been taught this so many times in relaxation therapy, but sometimes when your in a middle of a panic attack you forget!!

 

[comfortzone]

Excellent topic! Learning to breath is a wonderful relaxation technique! Awesome!

Through-these-eyes,

It is important to find a focal area in the room so that you can attempt to work yourself through a panic attack. The focus area is good to help distract you from your symptoms, as focusing on them can only cause a snowball effect. Take care,