If you have anxiety then you will probably know that your breath is often shallow and restricted. But what you may not know, is the negative effect that this is having on your health and well-being.
Do you take small shallow breaths?
Right now if you suffer from anxiety I want you to observe your upper chest. You will probably notice that you are holding lots of tension here. After working with many clients with anxiety I noticed that most anxiety sufferers seemed to have certain similarities in thinking, triggers, breath patterns and where they store tension in their bodies.
Our breath is so important, and I am not just talking about the obvious. If we don’t breathe, we will die. I am particularly talking about how the way we breathe effects our health and well-being.
Whenever someone comes into our office in a lot of pain, they have shallow breathing. Whenever someone leaves the office in a great state, relaxed, open and happy, they always have longer, deeper, more even breaths.
In our everyday lives we store tension in our bodies from life’s tensions and traumas, yet we only have the ability to store so much before we start developing stress symptoms. You can only store so much tension in your chest before it effects your breathing and triggers the feelings of anxiety.
Your body affects your mind and thinking. Holding tension in the structure of your body affects your emotional and mental state. Too much storing of stress, depending on where you store the tension, can often lead to developing anxiety.
Have you ever heard someone suggest, if you’re having a panic attack, to take deep breaths? Well, if you store tension in your chest, like so many of the people I see commonly do, I don’t think you would want to take a deep breath. Because in your chest is all this tension you’re holding onto – a deep breath could activate the tension, which could actually make you feel worse.
I first teach my clients how to let go of the tension they are holding onto in their chests, and when they do this it calms them and their nervous system – then they feel so much better and their anxiety disappears. This becomes a sustainable change too.
If you’re anxious and you’re holding onto tension in your upper chest, and you want help to learn how to live anxiety free. We can discuss how I can help you, and you can ask any questions you may have.
Have a quick read of some testimonials of how I helped people transform their lives, and if you want to live anxiety free, contact me.
Enjoy your breathing!