relieve anxeity

As the author Katherine Paterson once said: "To fear is one thing. To let fear grab you by the tail and swing you around is another." What we need to begin to tackle anxiety and worry is a tool. A tool that cuts anxiety off at the source. This is a tool I teach to nearly every anxiety patient I see. I even use it myself. Because it’s just so effective. So here we go… It’s all about breathing. I know I know, you hear a lot about 'deep breathing' to help you relax and reduce anxiety, but bear with me. Quicker, shallower breathing is the first trigger which triggers off all the other anxious symptoms. So by controlling breathing you control all the other anxiety symptoms as well. If you purposely breathe out longer than you breathe in, your body has to calm down (regardless of what tricks your imagination is playing on you). It’s hardwired into your nervous system; there’s simply no way round it for your body. So, if you start to feel anxious or stressed: 1.Stop 2.Focus on your breath 3.Take a breath in (to the quick count of 7 in your mind) 4.Then slowly breathe out (to the quick count of 11 in your mind) If you do this for a minute or so, you'll be amazed how quickly you've calmed down. We call this '7/11 breathing' but the numbers are up to you, just as long as the out-breath is longer than the in-breath. It sounds simple, but it’s profound.