Carrasco Psychological Health Services

Managing Physical Symptoms of Anxiety

Controlled breathing

When we become worried or anxious our breathing rate  can speed up. It can lead to many uncomfortable symptoms like dizziness, confusion, numbness, nausea, tingling, breathlessness, and tension. If you want to  demonstrate this to yourself, deliberately breathe deeply and quickly for  a handful of breaths or until you start to notice the sensations build up. It won’t take much before you start noticing these symptoms.

You can test yourself by using a watch and count the number of breaths you take over one minute (where one breath is in and out).

Write down breaths per minute.

A normal resting breathing rate is 10–12 breaths per minute.

Many people who over breathe tend to breathe with their chest muscles rather than their diaphragm. When you breathe, breathe from your stomach and through the nose, consciously attempting to breathe in a smooth and gentle way. One way of managing the physical symptoms of your anxiety is to regularly use controlled breathing. The aim is to use it at times during the day when you notice you are starting to feel distressed, anxious, or worried. However remember, slow, controlled breathing is not deep breathing. Breathing too deeply is a form of hyperventilation.

Follow this exercise:

Step 1. Sit comfortably in a chair. Use a watch with a second hand to time yourself. Breathe in and out gently through your nose. Rest your hands on your tummy to check that you are using your stomach muscles (and therefore, your diaphragm) to drive your breathing, rather than your upper chest.

Step 2. Now, do the following exercise:

Breathe in for 3 seconds, pause, and breathe out for 3 seconds.

As you breathe out, relax your body (and say the word “relax” to yourself). Do this for 3 minutes and notice the difference in your tension or anxiety. Try counting your breathing rate for 1 minute, before and after the exercise. Does your breathing rate drop afterwards?

The controlled breathing exercise can be done at different times throughout the day. At first, you may need to find a quiet, relaxing place. With practice, it becomes easier and you can use it whenever you need to.