Do you feel like you want to jump out of your skin? Or maybe you commonly experience the sensation of being on the edge of your seat. Anxiety shows up in each of our bodies differently.

Anxiety is a thought-driven phenomena. Though it can show up physically (chest tension, head aches, stomach discomfort) and emotionally, our anxiety is frequently activated by a thought.

Once the anxiety loop begins, it can be difficult to free yourself from its spiral – as one anxious thought leads to another and another and so on.

I spoke on Facebook Live about deep abdominal breathing and here's why:

One of the most USEFUL techniques to apply to calm down when you’re stressed is focused deep breathing. The breath pattern helps turn up the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, which is the branch of the nervous system known as the ‘rest and digest’ system. Ultimately, abdominal breathing helps sedate the nervous system and thereby encourages states of relaxation, calm, and well-being. It helps turn off the body’s fight or flight response and returns you to ease.

Here are some breath patterns to try on your own:

4:4:4:4 pattern
- inhale 4 counts
- pause and hold 4 counts
- exhale 4 counts
- pause and hold 4 counts
- repeat
3:6:3 patterns
- inhale 3 counts
- exhale 6 counts
- pause and hold 3 counts
- repeat
4:8:4 pattern (most advanced)
- inhale 4 counts
- exhale 8 counts
- pause and hold 4 counts
- repeat

I recommend setting a timer for a minimum of 2 minutes and applying one of the three breath patterns above. This is especially beneficial to do just before sleep because of the sedative effect.

Do your best to

get comfortable
remove distractions like your cell phone
close your eyes or lower your eyelids
bring awareness to your posture and body - you can place one hand on your heart and one hand on your stomach for added benefit, but it’s not necessary

Give it a try and please comment below about your experiences!

How to Reduce Stress Using Your Breath