The world is full of challenges that can lead to worry and feelings of anxiety. And sometimes those anxious feelings can seem to grab hold of us and refuse to let go.
That is particularly true if you struggle with an anxiety or panic disorder—but almost everyone must come to grips with strong feelings of anxiety from time to time. There are a number of ways to deal with surging anxiety and with more generalized anxious feelings. Indeed, anxiety is a topic we write about frequently in this blog.
Previous entries addressing issues around anxiety include:
- Anxiety is Common and Treatable
- Anxiety Alert: Notice When Anxious Feelings Attack
- Allergies and Anxiety May Be Linked
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder is Not a Generic Anxiety Disorder
- Eager to End an Anxiety Attack? Try the 5-4-3-2-1 Technique
In the last blog in that list, we offered one approach to slowing down those anxious feelings. The 5-4-3-2-1 technique involves engaging each of your senses in order to bring yourself back into the present moment and away from those feelings of anxiety. You start by naming five things you can see and continue by identifying four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
In this entry, we want to introduce another easy technique that can help you calm down when anxiety or panic pop up. It is known as “box breathing.”
Box Breathing is Out-of-the-Box Thinking
When you are experiencing anxiety, you might find yourself breathing harder and more quickly—and it might feel as though you are powerless to reclaim control of your breathing.
But you are not powerless at all. Box breathing is a technique in which you reassert control of your breathing in order to experience greater calm. Box breathing calms your nervous system and lowers your stress levels while also distracting your mind from whatever has fired up your anxiety.
Here is the process:
- Breathe in deeply while mentally counting to four
- Hold your breath for four counts
- Exhale slowly through your mouth for four counts
- Hold your breath out for four counts
- Repeat this slow and steady cycle of breathing in, holding, breathing out, and holding four times
There is an excellent chance that you will feel significantly calmer after having completed the box breathing cycle. But if you don’t—or if you don’t feel as calm as you would like to—you can repeat the exercise. In fact, you can repeat the exercise as many times as you need to in order to get your current feelings of anxiety under control.
A Quick Look at the Science of Box Breathing
When you are anxious, you are less concerned about why something works to help you calm down than you are about the simple issue of whether it works. Still and all, we want to provide a quick look at the science behind box breathing.
When you work through the box breathing exercise, carbon dioxide (C2) builds up in your blood during the times you are holding your breath. As CO2 increases in your blood, something called your vagus nerve (which is in charge of various organ functions) and your parasympathetic nervous system (which is responsible for inducing feelings of calm after a stressful experience) are both activated.
In other words, box breathing allows you to intentionally trigger actions in your nervous system and organs that are usually handled automatically without your conscious thought. You are simply telling your body that you need it to activate the processes that enable you to regain a sense of calmness.
Good in a Pinch, But Not a Replacement for Mental Health Treatment
We want to be clear here: While box breathing can be extremely helpful during anxious moments, it is not a cure for a mental health disorder. (The same might be said of the countdown technique we mentioned earlier.) If you are experiencing ongoing feelings of anxiety, it is extremely important that you talk with a doctor or other mental health professional so that you can get the treatment you need to address a mental health disorder effectively.
We Are Here to Support Your Mental Health
At Johnstown Heights Behavioral Health—located in Johnstown, Colorado—we are committed to helping those dealing with a mental health disorder grab hold of a new beginning. We offer assessment, diagnosis, and short-term stabilization as well as ongoing care and support.
Johnstown Heights treats anxiety disorders—of which there are five major types—through an acute psychiatric inpatient program. We take a holistic approach to treating all forms of anxiety, and that approach is grounded in evidence-based practices, expertise, experience, and empathy.
So, here is one worry you can set aside right now. If you need help with an anxiety disorder, Johnstown Heights Behavioral Health can help.
