Tips for Anxiety / Panic Attacks

Severe Anxiety is caused and perpetuated by an organ in the brain called the Amygdala. When the Amygdala becomes disrupted it causes us to experience a higher level of anxiety than is appropriate.

When feeling the sensations of Anxiety often there's a "Here we go again" thought process, in order to prevent this you need to learn how to slow you bodies responses to the Anxiety down.

The most effective way to do this is to learn Diaphragmatic Breathing.

Diaphragmatic breathing is the healthiest form of breathing and is very effective in helping you overcome anxiety or panic symptoms.

It is also the most natural - observe how a very young baby breathes. They will use their diaphragm and full torso for each breath.
After years of poor posture, anxious thinking, tension and pressure result in may of us breathing in a shallow and inadequate manner.
By utilising your diaphragm you activate your natural means of emptying and re-filling your lungs effectively. You also reduce some of the effects of anxiety and tension.

Re-learn to use your diaphragm
Imagine that your chest is a somewhat cone shaped cavity with the lungs lightly attached to the inside. And with the floor of the cone being made up of a large muscle called the diaphragm.

It's the movements of the wall and the floor of this cone that result in the movement of air into and out of your body.

Being more like sponges than muscles your lungs cannot get rid of the stale air on their own. For this they must rely on the contraction of the `cone' which surrounds them - in particular the floor of that cone - the diaphragm. This is why using your abdominal or stomach muscles in breathing, which indirectly activate your diaphragm, ensures a better supply of refreshing oxygen. If you use mainly the top of the cone it's called upper-chest breathing.

If you mainly engage the lower walls and floor of the cone it is called diaphragmatic breathing.

To check how you are breathing

• Rest one hand on your upper chest and the other over your navel area.
• Notice which hand rises first when you inhale.
• If the upper hand rises first you are using upper chest breathing. If the lower hand rises first you are breathing with your diaphragm. If both move at the same time you are using a mix of both.

Upper-Chest Breathing

This is not wrong but it does mean that your breathing will be a lot more rapid than if you were using your diaphragm.

This is because the amount you can inhale and exhale is considerably less - because the upper ribcage does not have the ability to expand and contract as well as the combination of lower ribcage and diaphragm 'floor' - diaphragmatic breathing.

Upper-chest rapid breathers do also have a tendency to be prone to hyperventilation - a potentially distressing condition that can result in a bizarre range of symptoms.

Using your Diaphragm

Diaphragmatic breathing, particularly if combined with mid- and upper-chest breathing, is much slower and more calming that upper-chest breathing alone.

An added bonus to diaphragm breathing is that it gives a wonderful massage to your internal organs such as the heart, liver, and digestive organs (including colon) keeping them toned and ensuring they get a healthy blood supply.

Most better-breathing techniques rely on your ability to breathe using your diaphragm.
So if you have habitually used the mid- or upper-chest it is worthwhile to first develop your ability to use your diaphragm.

That way, if you need to use a special technique you will have the diaphragm-breathing skill ready.

Practise using your diaphragm

Spend a few minutes a couple of times a day practising using your diaphragm:
1. Lie flat on the floor. Raise your knees. (You can put a cushion under them if you wish.)
2. Put one palm on your upper chest and the other over your navel. (Your objective is to have the lower hand rise first when you breathe in.)
3. Breathe out fully - and then a little bit more. With practise you will find you can do this by drawing in your abdomen. Pause for 2-4 seconds.
4. Allow the air to naturally flow in again.

Slowly and calmly repeat this cycle a few times.