How do you calm your breathing down?

[Alicia44]

Hi
One of my main anxiety symptoms is not being able to get a full deep breath...then I focus on it. For those that also have this...how do you manage to divert your thoughts and get it to calm down?

It's so strange, I can have many days where it just doesn't bother me at all...then, bang!!! I have a bad day amongst it all! It's usually worse when I'm tired 💤

www.healthline.com/health/box-breathing#getting-started

Thank you @SexNotJenga , I'll give it a go :)

It's horrible I know. I take a breath- even if it's not deep and hold it for as long as I can. When you let it go the next breath you take should feel deeper. (Sorry if it sounds like I'm rambling). I also breathe through my nose. I think this helps a lot.
To distract myself I will mentally do a shopping list in my head as I mentally 'walk' around the supermarket. I've also used the Calm app which is good.
I used to suffer with this a lot. I empathise.

Thank you @BlueMerchant ...it seems to have been getting better lately, I just have the odd day...today being one of them. I'm very tired today which I think is the trigger. It's exhausting isn't it?!

It's strange that I seem to have to urge to get that fulfilling deep breath constantly if that makes sense?! Nose breathing is the best way. I'm trying to keep busy in the house but it's hard when you're tired isn't it.

Sounds a bit random, but I associate certain smells/scents with people or calmness

Lynx Africa= my dad
Vanilla= my nan
Few more more the kids ect

When I can feel my breathing getting shallower and my heart rate rising, I grab a bottle of one of my calming smells, give it a spritz, shut my eyes and it helps diminish the anxiety. Doesn't work if am too far into a panic attack mind, but in my mind reduces the likelihood of me getting to that point

Of course I may just be odd, but it has worked for a few friends aswell.

Maybe give it a bash OP nothing ventured nothing gained x

Horrible. Pleased you are getting better, it just takes time. The techniques I tried really work for me. My trigger wasn't tiredness it was being home alone. It's great that you have identified your trigger. It took me a long time. You're half way there!

Thanks @mentallyfacked I will try anything! It's all so odd as I don't even feel anxious! It's just a bad habit I think! Like I say I have been having more good days than bad lately, I just don't like the bad days! I'm recovering from 2 ops and then got hit with a heavy cold last week...maybe I am run down. I'm taking berocca to see if it helps get my energy levels up.

Thanks @BlueMerchant ...I do feel like I'm way better than I was. :-)

I occasionally get this when something very bad happens. I cup my hands and breath into them. It usually helps after a minute.

@GregoryPeckingDuck yeah I've tried the cupping hands...which usually works. I could understand if things were bad in my life, they're better than they've ever been! I'm just odd :-(

Exhale more than you inhale

@noego yes this sometimes works for me! I'll keep trying!

A doctor told me to breathe into a paper bag (or an envelope if I don't have a bag) when I feel a panic attack coming on, which works for me. Apparently a lot of the physical symptoms of panic are actually caused by too much oxygen in the blood from breathing too fast! Breathing into the bag helps to balance things out again, which helps me to calm down

@BlueArtemis I've never tried this. The odd thing is that I don't feel panicky! It's just a bad habit I think...constantly trying to get my top breath if that makes sense

I keep trying the 3.4.5 method which sometimes helps. Breathe in for 3, hold for 4 and exhale for 5