Panic attacks & breathing control
Panic attacks affect many people, and are very unpleasant. Thankfully, they can often be eased by mindful breathing exercises. Practice the deep breathing exercise in my earlier post regularly; this should help reduce the occurrence of panic attacks. In the event of an attack, carry out the exercise with the following timing:
- breath in for 10 seconds
- hold in for 6 seconds
- breath out for 10 seconds
- hold out for 6 seconds
- repeat 6 times, or more if needed
Note: if the timing is too much, reduce it: for example, inhaling for 5 seconds, hold for 3, exhale for 5, hold for 3. The key to this exercise is repeatedly breathing for longer than holding. It is important to focus completely on the breathing and muscles during this exercise. Be mindful only* of the physical sensations of the lungs and muscles. There will be other distracting thoughts, sounds etc. that will try to gain your attention. Register these as 'oh i've had a distracting thought' then mentally push them aside, and return your focus to the lungs and muscles involved in breathing. Feel the rise and fall of your chest, the gentle filling and emptying of air in and out of the lungs. If you feel tension across the shoulders or neck, physically 'sigh' with each exhalation, and with each sigh, feel the tension drain out of your body, like water down the plug of a bath.
Have you used this or another technique to control panic attacks? what works for you? post it to the comments...
* be sensible, don't risk your life or others; if you're driving, pull over the car before trying this exercise.
