Anxiety Support Group
Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...
In many of your comments, I have seen discussed the art of proper breathing to prevent and limit the duration of an anxiety attack. Could someone describe the technique?
-
A friend sent this to me..As far as I can see, grief will never truly end.It may become softer overtime, more gentleand some days will feel sharp.But grief will last as long as Love does - ForeverIt's simply the way the absence of your loved onemanifests in your heart. A deep longing accompaniedby the deepest Love some days. The heavy fog mayreturn and the next day, it may recede.Once again, it's...
-
Today is my 25th birthday, to my somewhat lack of surprise I can see already no one really seems to care. I've always been the kinda person to make sure that everyone I Care about feels appreciated and knew somebody had their back. I can count 4 times this year when I Went out of my way to make sure a "friend" felt good on their birthday, especially if they got left hanging. Its early in the...
Three Minutes to Stress Relief: A Deep Breathing Exercise
I want to share an exercise with you that I learned a few years ago. It's a technique that many people use to bring about stress relief in the "heat of the moment" - think traffic jams, temper tantrums, work deadlines, and the like. Because it isn't realistic to go for a run or take a meditation break every time you're faced with a stressful situation, simple techniques like this controlled breathing exercise can help whenever you feel your stress levels soaring.
This exercise in breathing can be done for as little as three to five minutes at a time and is an effective way to halt escalating feelings of anger, tension, and frustration.
Here are the steps for the controlled breathing exercise:
Sit upright in a comfortable position. Focus on your present state and existence (this is often termed being "mindful").
Block out intrusive thoughts. You may close your eyes if you wish.
Pay attention to your breathing. Inhale slowly through the nose, taking several seconds.
Exhale through the mouth, trying to make the exhalation phase last twice as long as the inhalation.
Continue this mindful breathing for 3-5 minutes.
You can either do the exercise quickly in stressful moments or, if you like, you can increase the practice to 15-20 minutes per day as a form of meditation. With regular practice, you can train your body to relax in stressful situations using this exercise. It may even be something you can share with the kids - even if they don't practice the technique themselves, you're modeling a great example of self-control and restraint when you're upset or angry.
This exercise can also be effective in dealing with anxiety, panic attacks , stage fright, and fears (such as the fear of flying). Taking a restorative pause to focus on your breathing can also be a valuable anger management tool.