Having Anxiety? Boxed Breathing can help
We often hear that if we are having an anxiety attack, we should just “calm down”. Have you ever had an anxiety attack? If we could just “calm down” trust me, we would! In fact, we would pay good money to “just calm down”! It just isn’t that easy. Instead, having a breathing technique that we are familiar with and have practiced can help, if we catch the panic attack early enough. The technique I recommend the most, because I have seen it be the most effective, is Boxed Breathing.
Haven’t heard of Boxed Breathing? Well that’s okay, I’m going to tell you about it here. :-)
Boxed Breathing is counting our breaths in a square pattern. I usually use counts of 4 to start, however the counts can be changed up according to preferences, it can even be a rectangle if that helps. Here are the steps for boxed breathing:
Breathe in for a slow count of four.
Hold the breath for a slow count of four.
Breathe out for a slow count of four.
Hold for a slow count of four. (If this step is too hard, you can eliminate it)
The point is to focus completely on your breaths, as we often hyperventilate or breathe rapidly when having an anxiety attack. By doing this we are focusing on the numbers, focusing on our breath, and taking control. It also helps oxygen get to the brain, which is really important in periods of anxiety.
If you can have someone else, like a partner or friend, do the counting for you that can be helpful too, if it is someone you trust. I suggest making eye contact with them as they count for you. It can give you a place to center yourself in as you do it. Although, if eye contact is too much, then don’t do it.
I highly suggest that you practice this by going through the steps 2-3 times. It is best to do it when you are calm and relaxed. By doing this we are training our bodies to associate calm and relaxed with the Boxed Breathing technique. Our bodies have memories, use it to your advantage! If you can do it daily, it will really increase how well this works when you are having an anxiety attack and need it. It will also help it be more natural and less forced when the time comes that you need it.
