Hey,
Thanks for joining me today.
In today's talk,
I'd like to talk about more breathing techniques to calm anxiety.
Anxiety can be overwhelming.
It can make it difficult to focus on anything else.
But by practicing specific breathing techniques,
We can bring our minds and bodies back to a state of calm.
One technique that has been shown to be effective in calming anxiety is box breathing.
To do this,
You inhale through your nose for the count of four,
Hold your breath for a count of four,
Exhale through your mouth for a count of four,
And hold your breath for a count of four before starting again.
So let's try it once.
Inhale for a count of four.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Rest.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Excellent.
Repeat this style of box breathing a few times over until you can feel that you're already more relaxed.
This technique actually helps slow down your heart rate and brings a sense of calm to your body.
I often use it quietly,
Maybe no one even notices,
When I'm at work,
When I'm in front of kids and I'm teaching,
And I get worried or something happens that's unexpected,
And I need to just take a deep breath before reacting.
This box breathing is definitely something that helps me.
Another technique that I find helpful is diaphragmatic breathing,
Also known as belly breathing.
After a while,
It does become easier and more intuitive that you can do it without having to pause and think about it.
To do this,
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position and place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
Breathe in through your nose,
Feel your belly rise and expand,
And then exhale through your mouth,
Feeling your belly deflate.
You'll notice,
Especially if you're feeling tense or really stressed or overwhelmed,
That it's almost hard to get that breath to move into your belly because you're so tight at the top part.
You're having that chest breathing.
So this is so good for you because it makes you consciously become aware of moving the breath back down deep into your belly.
So breathe in through your nose,
Feel your belly rise and expand,
And then exhale through your mouth,
Feeling your belly deflate.
You can repeat this cycle for several minutes or until you feel that relaxation.
This technique releases tension in your body and calms your mind.
It's always good to take care of yourself and practice self-care,
Especially when you're feeling overwhelmed,
Full of stress and anxiety.
Sometimes it's hard to take bigger moments for yourself.
So these breathing moments can be that rest in between.
Take care.
