Counseling in Katy, TX: Breathe Through the Stress
How many times have you been told to “take deep breaths” when a stimulating event was occurring? Probably quite a few. That’s because it’s not just a cliche that you see on T.V.; it actually works! Counseling in Katy, TX can help you work through your anxieties, but if you need quick ways to lower your stress before your session, breathing deeply can be very effective. It’s an effective practice when dealing with stress or anxiety. Why does it work? Deep breathing imitates a relaxed breathing pattern: effectively stilling the nervous system and lowering the stress hormones.
Let’s take it all the way back to the beginning. How should deep breathing exercises be practiced? Deep breathing is like belly breathing. Breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth. Make sure your breaths are slow, deep, and intentional. Take a deep breath in; imagine that your belly is a balloon, and that you are trying to fill it with air. If you are having a difficult time with this, I suggest laying on your back on the floor with a pillow on your stomach. Inhale through your nose watching the pillow rise and fall with your breaths.
It’s time to begin! Take a long, slow, deep breath in for five counts, then slowly slowly exhale for eight counts. When you exhale, you want to exhale with purpose, like you are trying to blow air through a straw. I highly suggest that instead of a standard “in for four, out for eight,” that you choose a different number, a number that is still sensible, but a bit more random. By choosing numbers such as “inhaling for five, and exhaling for seven,” you will focus on the counting and breathing sensations instead of defaulting to a standard count, and zoning out. The concentration of the counting while breathing will bring you to a more regulated headspace.
The last thing to focus on is that this deep breathing exercise needs to be done for a minimum of two minutes to be fully effective. I don’t mean to breathe while looking at a clock for two minutes. Set a timer. By setting a timer and not concentrating on how much time has gone by, you are able to absolutely engage with your breathing. The two minute countdown is necessary to fully let go and be present.
Trying this exercise can lower your stress and anxiety to a manageable level in a relatively short period of time. Combining small exercises like this with counseling in Katy, TX can help you toward becoming the best version of yourself. Please contact me for a consultation, and follow me for more tips on working through depression, anxiety, and stress management. Let’s work together, today!
