How you breathe can have an impact on your panic attacks. Most of us don’t give any thought to how we breathe but learning how to do it correctly can help you with treating panic attacks. You can reduce the frequency of your attacks and the length of the them when they do occur.

Breathe Right to Reduce Stress

There are basically two different types of breathing, chest breathing and abdominal breathing. As the name suggests, chest breathing is when you breathe mainly from the chest and is common leading up to and during an anxiety or panic attack. This type of breathing tends to consist of rapid and shallow breaths which upset the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body. This type of shallow breathing can lead to dizziness, an increased heart rate and muscle tension.

Abdominal breathing, on the other hand, is characterized by deep, even breaths that are drawn down by the diaphragm. A newborn baby will do this, as will people when they are in a deep sleep - it’s the natural way to breathe.

There is a very simple test to determine which way you are breathing. Place one hand on your tummy and the other one on your chest. Pay attention to which hand moves the most as you breathe. If you find the one on your chest is moving the most then you are chest breathing, if the one on your tummy is moving more then you are breathing with your diaphragm (abdominal breathing). Understanding which method you are using can help you reduce your anxiety by allowing you to consciously switch to a more relaxing mode of breathing.

Breathe Deep and Relax

This easy exercise can be used when you are feeling anxious to help with treating panic attacks. You want to practice this when you are in comfortable surrounding and preferably relaxed so that you can apply it when you start to feel anxious or stressed. (note: if you feel dizzy or uncomfortable at any time stop the exercise right away):

Relax your shoulders as much as you can. Put one hand on your stomach inhale slowly through your nose. When you are breathing through your diaphragm, your hand should rise and fall with each breath.

Don’t try to hold your breath during this exercise, instead, exhale through your mouth. Don’t push the air out, let it flow naturally.

Do this several times in a row.

You can increase the relaxing effect of this technique by focusing your attention on the breath. As the air moves in and out of your body focus on your hand moving up and down or the air moving in your nose and out your mouth. This is a breathing meditation.

Learning and practicing proper breathing can be used as an effective method for preventing and treating panic attacks. Add it to other techniques you are currently using to increase your arsenal and get your life back.

Getting Rid Of Anxiety contains methods to help you deal with your panic attacks. Here is one simple method for treating panic that you can start using right away.

Tags: Mental Health

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