The way you breathe can be a symptom for stress and other anxieties. Learning how to breathe better can help calm and relieve you from panic disorders. The art of breathing usually requires practice, patience and diligence.
Rapid, shallow breathing is a common indication that something is wrong. They mostly happen to people who are under a lot of stress and also for those who have panic attacks. In rapid breathing, the breath you take is quick and short with very little time in between breaths and many breaths are taken in a second.
People who experience panic attacks usually make the mistake of holding their breath which causes the carbon dioxide levels to drop which eventually leads to hyperventilation.
It helps to practice breathing exercises to help calm you down compared to just using them when your panic attack arises. This is because in times of panic, it is very hard to think straight. It does not take much time and space either. You may find that breathing exercises are very easy to do. Five to ten minutes of your time each day is enough for this exercise.
Here is one example. What you need to do is to increase your habit of taking deeper and slower breaths. You have to breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose and then breathe out through the mouth slowly. When you do this for the first time expect to feel a little bit light headed. This is because your body is not used to receiving so much oxygen.
Practicing breathing exercises like this regularly makes proper breathing a second nature to you and allows you to use it properly when the time comes instead of ending up hyperventilating.
Remember, in times of panic – focus and concentrate on your breath. This can help you get better, be more confident and give you more control.
