When life feels heavy, overwhelming, or just off, your breath is one of the quickest tools you have to interrupt the spiraling and quickly ground yourself.
At Premier Mental Health & Wellness, our mental health experts love using breathing techniques in Colorado Springs, CO, to help our patients calm their nervous systems, ease tension, and feel more in control of their emotions.
Once you learn breathing techniques, you can use them in daily life without anyone even noticing. So if anxiety hits while you’re at work or with friends, you can use your own breath to lower your stress.
Keep reading to learn about 3 of our favorite breathing techniques you can use right now to reduce anxiety.
1. Box Breathing
During this breathing exercise, you simply breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, and then breathe out for 20 seconds.
Repeat the breathing exercise until you feel your heart rate slow and the anxiety ease.
2. Slow, Deep Breathing
At your own pace, take slow and deep breaths in through your nose, then breathe out slowly through your mouth. Continue breathing all the way out until you can’t anymore. Repeat this until the anxiety fades and you feel calmer.
3. Lion’s Breath
This breathing technique doesn’t work as well in public, but if you can find a quiet, private space, it helps clear tension.
For Lion’s Breath, breathe in deeply through your nose, open your mouth wide, stick out your tongue, and exhale making a “ha” sound from the back of your throat.
This technique is one of our favorites, because it releases tension and activates your throat chakra. When we activate our throat chakra, we create an energetic opening that supports the release of suppressed emotions and encourages authentic self-expression.
Learn More Anxiety Tools From a Mental Health Professional
To learn more breathing techniques and ways to handle anxiety or depression, like therapy or medication, explore our options for individual care and medication management.
Simply request an appointment with us online to get started on your path to relief.
Or call us at our locations in Texas or Colorado to find care close to home.
We are proud to be a designated Blue Dot Safe Spot, offering a supportive space for those experiencing pregnancy or postpartum mental health challenges. All of our providers are trained in perinatal mental health awareness, ensuring compassionate, informed care during pregnancy and postpartum.