According to Harvard University Health, one easy way to ease anxiety and stress is to teach yourself mindful breathing techniques. Dr. Katherine Rosa of the Harvard-affiliated Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, says that people should breathe like a sleeping child by breathing from the belly and not the chest.
Most people are chest breathers. This shallow, upper chest breathing occurs when a person is anxious or stressed. This is because when we are stressed, our flight-or-fight instincts kick in and we breathe at a rapid pace to prepare our bodies for fleeing from danger. Dr. Rosa explains that today, people are surrounded by stressors (e.g.: emails, personal confrontations, daily news, and traffic jams) that keep people in a constant state of tension.
Diaphragmatic breathing, or “belly breathing” is a technique that can reduce stress. This is done by taking three slow and controlled deep belly breaths when a person feels stressed. Dr, Rosa suggests practicing belly breathing throughout the day, once every hour. Through mindful practice, a person will learn to engage in belly breathing whenever they are faced with a stressor.
If you or a loved one is struggling with their mental health, we can help. Saber Psychiatry is currently accepting new patients ages 2 to 65. Saber Psychiatry treats each patient based on their unique needs and uses carefully cultivated treatment algorithms for medication to achieve the most favorable outcomes for our patients. Call our offices at 615.678.7839 to schedule an appointment.