Breathing Away Anxiety

On the road to full recovery from agoraphobia, sometimes we need ways to get short-term relief from anxiety just to get through a period of the day or even the next few minutes.

One of my favorite ways to get a short break from anxiety is by breathing it away. To do this:

1) Breathe in deeply through your nose.

2) As you breathe in, put one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. Make sure the hand on your stomach rises first. This means you are breathing deeply and from the diaphragm.

3) Hold your breath for a slow count of five.

4) Breathe the air out very slowly. As you breathe out, make a slight sighing sound, as if you were trying to fog a mirror. Also, picture the tension leaving your body as you exhale.

5) Repeat these steps for a total of 10 breaths.

This simple technique should help relieve tension and anxiety because the way we breathe has a lot to do with how we feel. Quick, shallow breaths from the top of the lungs are associated with insecurity and anxiety. Deep slow breaths from the diaphragm are associated with confidence and well-being.