Having ways of regulating our emotions and regaining control can be central to trauma recovery. 

If we are aware that anxiety can be triggered by something specific, we can very easily avoid it.  For example, if we’ve been in a car accident, we may feel anxious about being in a car so we avoid it.  This is where, due to our experience of the accident, our unconscious mind, now believes that being in a car is unsafe.  So, when we get into a car and set off, we can be flooded with anxiety. 

As this is distressing, we can then avoid being in a car which can cause us many inconveniences in life and difficulties.  Also, this often creates an inner conflict and deeper feelings of stress as our conscious mind is aware that we should feel ok but our unconscious seeks to keep us away.

There are numerous published coping mechanisms to help us calm ourselves, reduce feelings of anxiety and to regulate our emotions.  Breathing techniques are recommended but can often be dismissed for a number of reasons such as we don’t understand how or why they work, we don’t believe they’ll help, we’re afraid to try in case we fail or they’re unfamiliar.  In the height of anxiety, if it’s not something we’ve tried or tested we are unlikely to use it as a coping mechanism.  Avoidance can easily become a go-to place as we’ve done this before as we repeat what’s familiar even if it’s unhelpful in the long term.

In theory, if we can understand why something works and we can experiment with it to notice how that feels, it might be something that can be adopted as way of regulating emotion or grounding ourselves.

When we feel stressed or anxious your sympathetic nervous system is on high alert which means your muscles can tense, our heart rate and breathing can increase and the body releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin.  This can feel distressing, overwhelming and out of control.

To counteract this, breathing serves the following roles –

• It activates the parasympathetic nervous system. This is part of our nervous system that calms the body, slows the heart rate and also aids digestion and other vital functions. A breathing technique or deep breathing signals the body to switch to the parasympathetic nervous system which calms the mind and body.
• It grounds you in the present moment meaning you may move your focus away from the distress of feeling anxious.
• It activates the Vagus nerve which is major part of the relaxation response and helps to calm us down.
• It calms and regulates the body and where the body goes, the mind follows.
• It increases oxygen levels in the brain allowing us to think more rationally.

When we feel scared, anxious or stressed, having a way of calming ourselves can be essential for emotional regulation.  It builds resilience and confidence as it provides us with a sense of control and reduces our fear of being stressed or anxious.  Feeling a sense of control is key to our well-being.

Breathing techniques have a defined and researched affect on our mind and body at times of stress and anxiety.  It would then be helpful to have a breathing technique that we’ve practised so that when we want or need one, we have something that we know that we can do.  There are many out there but fundamentally we only need 1.  These are 2 simple and hopefully, easy ones.  I would invite you to experiment with at least one and then notice how you feel afterwards.

1 – One-minute breathing.

This can be done absolutely anywhere whether you are standing or sitting.  Begin by focusing on your breathing and once you’ve inhaled, hold this for the count of 3.  When you breathe out, breathe all the way out, gently allowing the air to flow slowly and peacefully.

Notice your breath with all of your senses.  Watch your body alter as you take in air, feel the air as it passes through your airways, notice any smells and taste and hear yourself as you breathe – truly be there with your breathing.  Taking 5 breaths will take about 1 minute.

2 – Box Breathing

This is where we breathe in for 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4 and hold for 4.  Again, if you focus your thoughts on the bodily sensations; focusing on how you’re feeling in the moment, this will enhance your experience. 

These are just 2 examples and a simple Google search will bring up many more.  As previously stated, we just need 1.  The power of grounding ourselves with breathing is often discounted for many reasons ranging from people not committing time, effort or focus or not trying it as it may sound too simplistic to help with such intense feelings. 

I hope that as you experiment with a breathing technique it becomes a helpful part of your life to calm your mind and body when needed.

References:

Kabat Zinn, J. (1990) Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. New York: Piatkus. 

Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.