The Single Most Effective Technique To Manage Anxiety!

By Georgiana Carollus, MA

Copyright 2013 by Georgiana Carollus

Publishers Note: This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard the subject matter covered. It is distributed with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

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The Single Most Effective Technique To Manage Anxiety!

By Georgiana Carollus, MA

No one is immune to anxiety. We all deal with anxiety and it can show up in our lives as worry, nervousness, fear, and panicky feelings. Often anxiety is only a nuisance and inconvenience but sometimes it can paralyze us and stop us in our tracks. The sensations of anxiety and panic can be truly overwhelming. The great news is that you can change your anxiety and your feelings. Anxiety in our society is widespread and pervasive. Studies have shown that up to 33% of the US population suffers a panic attack during their lifetime. While medication was once a favored treatment, many who formerly relied on medication for relief are looking to other methods for long-term resolution with fewer side effects. Fortunately, medical research is proving that people can relieve their anxiety by changing aspects of their lifestyle, thought, and behavior. The technique presented in this report is a proven way to diminish anxiety and it can be used by anyone. It is, however, not meant to replace psychotherapy if anxiety is severe or persistent. For many, evaluation and support from a psychotherapist experienced in anxiety treatment is a wise course of action. While this e-book will give you a solid technique to deal with your anxiety and anxiety symptoms, for a more thorough treatment of anxiety and panic attacks, I recommend the Panic Away system. The book/CD/DVD course can be downloaded (or shipped) and is not only easy to read and understand, but it fully explains strategies and treatment options for those who suffer from anxiety attacks, panic disorder, and related problems. You can read more about it by Clicking Here.

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Use Your Breath to Manage Your Anxiety!

There is no single technique as effective as breathing to manage the anxious body. No matter what physical symptoms you experience, breathing will make you more comfortably immediately if you learn how to apply it to your feelings of anxiety and remember to use it when you most need it. Are you skeptical and wondering how much of a difference breathing can possibly make? Does it seem so simple that it cant possibly be true?

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How can breathing help? Deep or diaphragmatic breathing can help to interrupt panic before it starts and establishes a grip on you. When panic has already started, breathing can help diminish and stop it. Breathing can be used to keep the body calm and prevent stress from building.

Your Physical Reactions to Anxiety

Anxiety can generate a number of physical symptoms, including rapid breathing; an increase in heartbeats; a release of adrenaline into the system; and increased sweating, nausea, and muscle tension. Panic reactions can cause you to breathe almost twice as rapidly as normal resulting in a drop in your bodys carbon dioxide levels. This drop can trigger reactions, including apprehension and a quickening heartbeat. When panic sets in, the body tenses and breathing becomes shallow and rapid. Very quickly and without warning, breathing can change into gasps and gulps. Hyperventilation and dizziness can occur, causing you to worry about fainting or being unable to breathe.
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All these changes are the result of the actions of automatic nervous system. You cant make these changes happen they happen without your conscious control. But you can alter your pattern respiration and this will have an effect on these automatic responses. If you lower your rate of respiration, your heart rate will gradually decrease, blood flow will return to normal, and all other systems will return to normal. Controlled breathing can help you during anxious times and can also lower your susceptibility to panic.

What is Diaphragmatic Breathing?

When we are stressed, our tendency is to take shallow breaths. Diaphragmatic breathing can restore the bodys equilibrium and is the most reliable way to stop a panic attack. Deep breathing involves your diaphragm, a large muscle in your abdomen, and is marked by the expansion of the abdomen rather than the chest. Although the focus seems to be on the abdomen, Photo by creativedc; Creative Commons License during deep breathing, the lungs are filled with much more oxygen than during shallow or chest-breathing. Breathing oxygenates every cell of your body and deep breathing raises levels of blood oxygen, promoting health by stimulating the digestive process and by improving fitness and mental performance. Shallow or chest-breathing, on the other hand, causes a constriction of the chest and lung tissue over time, decreasing oxygen flow and delivery to your tissues. To improve your breathing and to breathe more from your abdomen, inhale a deep breath. Put a hand on your stomach, and as you inhale, feel your stomach gently expand. Then, imagine that you have a balloon in your stomach and as you exhale, force all the air out of that balloon. Feel your stomach contract. Alternately, you could imagine that you are using your exhale to slowly blow on some food to cool it off. In both cases, once you exhale every bit of air you have in that breath, your next breath will automatically be a diaphragmatic, full breath. Repeat a few more times. If you feel yourself become light-headed, take a break or slow down your breathing.

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A Daily Deep Breathing Practice

Learning and practicing deep breathing and establishing deep breathing as part of your daily routine can help normalize your respiration and your blood chemistry. The end result is that you feel better and more in control of your life. Establishing a deep breathing practice will help you to reduce your bodys oversensitivity to stressful Photo by chevrette; Creative Commons License events, ultimately making panic less likely to happen in the first place. How is this possible? Lets imagine a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 representing extreme relaxation and 10 representing extreme anxiety. Lets also imagine that once your anxiety reaches a level 7, youre likely to start panicking. If youre usually operating at a level of 5 or 6, you dont have far to go to reach 7. A stressor could easily push you up the point or two into the panic zone. But, if you can operate at a level of 2 or 3, it would take much more for a stressor to put you into the panic attack zone. In effect, you have more of a cushion from that zone. Clearly, then, lowering your overall level of anxiety is likely to decrease your frequency of panic attacks. An improved breathing style, when used every day, can help you become more relaxed. Studies have shown that, on average, normalization happens within about two weeks of starting a deep breathing practice. To establish a deep breathing practice, plan for at least two specific practice times a day. Schedule these for the same time every day so your practice can become a regular habit. Follow these guidelines: 1. Inhale slowly through your nose to the count of four. Inhale deeply, filling an imagined balloon in your stomach. 2. Hold your breath to the count of 4. 3. Take at least 4 seconds to slowly exhale through your mouth, gently pushing out every bit of air in your imagined balloon. 4. Continue to breathe deeply for four minutes.

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To enhance the value of deep breathing, consider adding imagery. As you breathe, picture yourself in a relaxing situation, perhaps sitting on a beach or walking through some woods. Use whatever imagery creates a sense of peace and well-being for you. As you breathe, imagine yourself in this setting, feel your muscles relax, and feel any tensions melt away. Once you become adept at becoming relaxed with deep breathing, add the word relax or calm as you exhale. As this becomes a habit for you, the word you use becomes a cue or signal associated with relaxation. At a later time, when you say your cue word to yourself, it will bring an extra measure of calm to your mind and body.

An Action Plan to Deal with Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Unchecked anxiety tends to feed on itself. This is why it is important to create a plan of action to deal with anxiety when it first appears. A quick coping skill, based on a method by Dr. Charles Stroebel, can be very helpful.

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Follow these steps: 1. Mentally detach yourself from the situation and smile to yourself. As soon as you step away from the situation, even mentally, it has less hold and control over you. Smiling to yourself helps create more detachment and adding a little humor can be calming. 2. Think to yourself: Clear head, calm body. In this step, you are telling yourself that your mind will stay alert while you allow your body to relax. By doing this, you are able to deal with the situation while focusing on your immediate task. 3. Take in one, slow deep diaphragmatic breath. Interrupt any tendency to fast, shallow, or irregular breathing. Slowing down your breathing will help you feel in control of yourself.

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4. As you breathe out, relax your body, from your head to your toes. Imagine a wave of relaxation, starting in your head and flowing like warmed honey through your entire body to your feet. Let any tension or anxious thoughts melt away. This calming response is most effective if you use it early, before your anxiety level has escalated. So, pay attention to your early warning signs that tell you may soon become anxious. Use your early warning signs to prompt you to start using the calming response. The calming response only takes about 6 seconds. You can easily do it on the spot without anyone around you realizing what you are doing. The more you practice the calming response, the better you will become at using it. Use your imagination to practice the technique. Imagine your anxious feelings and physical reactions. Then imagine your way through each step of the calming response. Imagine yourself calming yourself down and regaining a sense of control. Rehearsing the process in this way will make it easier for you to apply the calming response when you really need it.

Summing It All Up
The good news is that you can use deep breathing to help manage and prevent anxiety and panic attacks. The middle of a panic attack is no time to start learning a new breathing technique. Practice deep breathing twice a day and within a couple weeks you will be able to use this technique when you feel a panic attack coming on. The more you practice deep breathing, the more likely it is that your panic attacks will decrease or stop all together. While deep breathing is an effective technique, as I mentioned earlier, I recommend the Panic Away system for more in-depth information and action items to manage your general anxiety and panic attacks. Its an excellent resource for anyone who wants to achieve true freedom from anxiety. For more information, click here. To your health, well-being, and happiness!

Georgiana Carollus. MA

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