Conquering Stress

The headline makes it sound so simple – conquering stress!! Ask people who have suffered from panic, anxiety or stress attacks and they will tell you how difficult this task seems to them. Can you really conquer these monsters? However difficult this task may seem - Yes, you can. In fact you can blow them away – literally. If there is one thing that can help cure panic attacks or anxiety or stress, it is – hold your breath folks – breathing properly.
In this post I will try and cover this very important aspect of stress management. I will also detail out the 5-7-8 breathing technique here so that you can see the practical benefits for yourself. You can also read about the nifty stress relief product that can really help you to regulate your breathing - The resperate music breathing kit.
Breathing has a profound effect on our nervous system. Breath regulation is an important keystone in maintaining mental health.
An article by Carol Krucoff, ran in The Seattle Times:

Slow, deep breathing is a powerful anti-stress technique. When you bring air down into the lower portion of the lungs, where the oxygen exchange is most efficient, heart rate slows, blood pressure decreases, muscles relax, anxiety eases and the mind calms.
Experts in the field of mind-body medicine say that few people in Western, industrialized society know how to breathe correctly. We are taught to suck in our guts and puff out our chests, which causes the muscles to tense and respiration rate to increase. As a result, we are a nation of shallow “chest breathers,” who primarily use the middle and upper portions of the lungs. Babies breathe from the belly, but with age, most people shift from this healthy abdominal breathing to shallow chest breathing.
Breathing is the only bodily function you can do either consciously or unconsciously. Studies have linked focused breathing with reducing hot flashes in menopausal women, relieving chronic pain and reducing symptoms of PMS. Some hospitals have begun teaching relaxation breathing to patients treated for a wide range of conditions.

But wait! There is more to deep breathing than just this. Be careful, because if you overdo it, you are likely to cause dizziness and actually induce stress instead of relieving it. There is a technique popularly known as the 5-7-8 technique which can be practiced in this manner:

Take a deep and slow breath, breathing in through your nose – through the count of 5.
Hold your breath while counting upto 7.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for the count of 8.

Repeat this procedure for upto 4 breaths initially gradually increasing to 8 breaths and then even more. Start off by doing this simple exercise twice a day and increase it to thrice a day and more till deep breathing becomes a regular habit. You could even try this at the onset of a panic attack for a soothing effect.

This is one of the simplest breathing exercises and there is help in the market for those who want to pursue breathing techniques. One good device for help in breathing excercises is the resperate music breathing kit. This biofeedback device analyzes and creates personalized inhale/exhale music for you. This has been proven to lower hypertension (high blood pressure)

Product Features:

Breathing Sensor automatically analyzes & creates personalized inhale/exhale guiding music for you.
It is easy. Just listen. Your body/mind will naturally synchronize your breathing to the sensor-fed music.
After each session, your breathing returns to normal but significant benefits are felt in 3-4 weeks.
7 clinical trials have proven blood pressure lowered by up to 36 pts systolic/20 dystolic & avg 14/8 pts
Only FDA Approved device to Lower Blood Pressure without drugs. 30 day free trial.

Not only does this device help in regulating blood pressure and lowering hypertension, it also does a fine job in helping you to do your conscious breathing exercises and thereby reducing stress, anxiety and panic.

In Dr. Andrew Weil’s Premier Issue of his newsletter, Self Healing, he states, “the most effective and time-efficient relaxation method I know is to practice breathing exercises regularly. My patients have used these simple techniques not only to center themselves but also to address various health problems, from stopping panic attacks to improving digestion.”
Dr. Weil believes (and rightly so) that breathing can reprogram the nervous system and help relieve stress, anxiety and panic.