Reactionary Coping Skill: Deep Breathing
There are a variety of ways that we can engage in deep breathing. One of my favorites is to explain to clients the benefit of a long exhale. When we are feeling anxious or triggered by a flashback, our body is likely going into flight or fight mode. This activates our body’s sympathetic nervous system which causes things like shallow breathing, racing heart, sweating, and restlessness. Which are all beneficial responses when we need to run or fight for our life, but not that great when we need to be able to sit at our desk and do our job. When you can get yourself grounded enough to take deep breaths, try and take it a step further by exhaling longer than you are inhaling. Maybe set a timer and inhale for 4 seconds and then exhale for 8. A longer exhale activates our body’s parasympathetic nervous system. This system “puts the breaks on”, slows our body down, and helps us relax.
Some other breathing exercises to try:
Box Breathing: Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4, and repeat
4-7-8 Technique: similar to what I explained above but this one has a pause. Inhale 4, hold for 7, exhale 8, and repeat.
Belly Breathing: put a hand on your belly, and when you breathe in try and move your hand in and out in correspondence to your inhale and exhale. What people find is that they may not often take deep breaths, rather they take shallow breaths which would mean that your chest is moving more than your belly when you breathe.
