How To Control Anxiety Using Deep Relaxation Techniques You Might Not Know About.
In order for you to know how to control anxiety you will need to learn about the capacity to relax. The capacity to relax is at the very core of any program you will partake in in order to overcome anxiety problems. The type of relaxation technique I will tell you about in the following paragraphs revolves around regular, daily practice of a strong form of deep relaxation.
How does deep relaxation help to control anxiety?
When you are experiencing severe anxiety several bodily reactions occur as a result. When you are able to use deep relaxation techniques you’ll experience the following:
A decrease in your heart rate
A decrease in respiration rate
A decrease in blood pressure
A decrease in skeletal muscle tension
Decrease in metabolite rate and oxygen consumption
A decrease in analytical thinking
An increase in skin resistance
And an increase in alpha wave activity to the brain
Should you decide to take part in deep relaxation techniques for at least 20 to 30 minutes on a daily basis it can produce, over a period of time, a generalization of relaxation for the rest of your life.
The method I’m going to discuss in order to teach you how to overcome anxiety revolves around abdominal breathing. Abdominal breathing exercises are known to create a reduction of generalized anxiety. And most people who use of abdominal breathing find that regular practice reduces frequency of anxiety episodes along with panic attacks.
Abdominal breathing explained
Your breathing is going to directly reflect the level of tension you’re carrying throughout your body. Whenever you are feeling severely anxious your breathing is going to become shallow and very rapid. You’ll experience this feeling very high in your chest area.
Now if you were more relaxed, your breathing would be fuller, deeper, and from your abdomen region. It is extremely difficult to be tense and breathe from your abdomen all at once.
Steps to use the abdominal breathing exercise to overcome anxiety
The first thing you need to do is take very careful note of the tension you’re feeling at a given moment. You want to then place one hand on your abdomen right under your rib cage area.
Now you want to inhale very slowly and deeply through your nose into the bottom of your lungs. You want to send air as low down as you possibly can. If you are breathing from your abdomen region your hand should actually rise. You want your chest to move very little while your abdomen is expanding.
Now once you have taken in a full breath, you will want to pause for a brief moment. After you pause for a moment you want to exhale very slowly through your nose and mouth, it is up to you which one you choose. Make sure you exhale fully. As you are exhaling allow your entire body to just let go.
Now you want to take ten slow full abdominal breaths. Try your best to keep your breathing very smooth and regular without inhaling a big breath or letting your breath come out all at one time. You can slow down your breathing if you slowly count to four on the inhale and then slowly count to four when you are letting out your breath. Make sure you’re pausing briefly at the end of each inhalation. Count from 10 down to 1, counting backwards one number with each exhalation.
Example
Slow inhale… Pause… Slow exhale (“Ten”)
Slow inhale… Pause… Slow exhale (“Nine”)
Slow inhale… Pause… Slow exhale (“Eight”)
You want to keep doing this all the way down to the number one. If you begin to feel a little bit lightheaded while practicing this abdominal breathing exercise, then feel free to stop for 15 to 20 seconds before starting again.
You can decide to prolong this exercise by doing them in sets of abdominal breaths. Just remember to count backwards from 10 to 1 every time you do it. If you want to know how to control anxiety than practicing this exercise multiple times a day will have a noticeable effect not only in reducing your anxiety, but also early signs of a possible panic attack.
Learning how to control anxiety is going to involve more than abdominal breathing exercises. But I am convinced that those who use this method will appreciate the benefits, such as increased oxygen to the brain and musculature.
Some other benefits include more efficient excretion of bodily toxins, improved concentration, and stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system. It will also be easier for you to prevent stress from becoming cumulative, which tends to take a toll on your overall health. Start practicing this exercise as soon as you can to get your anxiety problems under control.