Conscious breathing: the key to effectively combating anxiety

Anxiety is a disease that affects a large part of the population. It can cause many harmful situations in people’s lives, such as excessive fear, insecurity, persistent worry, depressive episodes and even shortness of breath. Some medications that treat this psychological disease are already available.

Especially nowadays, with free time being a short period of privilege in everyday life, it is difficult to take care of yourself properly.

Even with medication, it is still possible to use other ways to relieve the symptoms that accompany the disease. Thus, there is an easy and healthy way to reduce anxiety, and that is through breathing.

How can breathing relieve anxiety?

The act of breathing has proven benefits in maintaining quality of life and personal well-being. Taking deep breaths can help reduce stress and anxiety.

In addition, it can improve mood and relaxation. Maintaining good breathing is essential if we want to get rid of anxious feelings.

Although it is something natural and automatic, sometimes we need to regulate the way we breathe through some concentration exercises, after all, not everyone breathes the right way.

Our nose’s “autopilot” can often only draw in air superficially.

5 foolproof exercises to reduce symptoms

1. Breathing alternately

This exercise involves using your fingers to help you breathe. Close one nostril to first inhale, then switch nostrils and exhale with the other. Always stay focused.

2. Abdominal

It is possible to feel stress relief by placing your hand on your abdomen and taking a deep breath to become aware of the act, with the expansion and contraction of your abdominal muscles.

3. Yoga and meditation

These practices are highly recommended even by doctors. Meditation helps with concentration and attention to breathing, while yoga combines this attention and breathing practice with body movements and balance.

4. Extended breathing

It consists of the same method of breathing deeply, but with a time of six seconds for each phase of breathing.

5. Contracting and relaxing

By controlling your breathing and contracting and relaxing your muscles, you can feel much more relieved. Slowly inhale while contracting your muscles, then release and relax. Repeat this process a few times for best results.