Coping Skills Series: Breathing as a Coping Skill for Anxiety

I know, I know... Deep breathing as a coping skill for anxiety often gets called cliché, but sometimes things become overused for a reason! I think it's because deep breathing actually works to help regulate your mood on a biological and physiological level!

Think of it this way - when you're anxious, it's almost like your body is a car that is picking up speed. Your heart rate increases, you breathing gets shallow, you might tense up. Whether you are intentionally doing it or not, your foot is pressing down on the gas of the car and you're picking up speed and starting to feel out of control. Deep breathing helps you take your foot off the gas to help you regain control of your body. It sends the message to your nervous system that you are safe - that your heart can slow down to normal, that you can breathe easy, and you can slow down the momentum of your stress response.

You're not fixing the road or even stopping the car completely, but you are simply regaining control of the car. Once your body slows down, the mind often follows.

Sounds pretty great to me! So how do we use the power of deep breathing to our advantage? Here are some simple steps:

1. If possible, find a comfortable position to sit, stand, or lie down in. Remember, we are trying to remind our body that we are safe.
   

2. Picture a square with each side being four seconds long (see diagram). We are going to travel around the square with our breath.
   

3. Inhale deeply through your stomach for four seconds
   

4. Hold your breath for four seconds
   

5. Exhale slowly over four seconds
   

6. Hold for four seconds
   

7. Repeat steps 3 through 6
   

8. Continue for at least three rotations, or as long as needed

I'd encourage you to give this a try in a way that works for you! If four seconds is too long, maybe start with two or three and slowly work your way up to four. Consider this a manual way of reminding your body that you are safe and in control. It's my hope you'll see why this coping skill is so frequently recommended! 😉