Wim Hof is quite extraordinary, as having defied the odds on what people are capable
of and making the science community question what they thought they understood about human
potential, his methods and techniques can be applied in various aspects of life.
If you struggle with anxiety in your life, then in this video we look at one of the most
effective applications of the Wim Hof breathing method, which is to deal with anxiety.
So, let's begin, and look at how to relieve anxiety by breathing properly using the Wim
Hof technique...
1.
Physical Effects of Anxiety - When you begin to feel anxious, your body
automatically goes into a state of emergency, which causes a number of effects on your body
and how you feel in that moment - For example, your heart rate and blood pressure
will rise as anxiety takes a hold of you, making you feel tense, on edge and as a result,
more stressed - When this happens, your body is effectively
telling you that there is a perceived threat and you need to be in this state to be ready
to deal with it, or the fight or flight reaction - The problem is many reach this state when
there's no need to, resulting in you having shallow breaths in your chest, causing panic-related
symptoms such as nausea, shortness of breath, and dizziness
2.
Take Deep Breaths - When you start feeling the sensations of
anxiety coming on, one of the first things to do is to shift focus to your breathing,
ensuring that your breathing patterns are deep and calming
- You do this by taking deep deliberate breaths starting from your abdomen, which signals
to the rest of your body that everything is fine
- The key to this relaxation technique is to fill your entire lungs with air, rather
than just the upper part, which is what normally happens when you take shallow breaths when
feeling anxiety - The deep breaths evoke a calming response
within your body, reversing many of the anxiety-related symptoms, which we will explain in more detail
later in the video
3.
Monitor Your Breathing - If you want to ensure you're breathing correctly
and taking the most effective steps to help cope with anxiety, you can do a little exercise
that will be most effective - You do this by monitoring how you are breathing
by placing one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest.
Whenever you take a deep breath, the hand on you belly should move, while the hand on
your chest should barely move at all - This form of breathing requires the use
of the diaphragm, a muscle just below the chest area, which contracts as you inhale,
thus resulting in you feeling a little pressure when you breathe deep
- Most people use the muscles in their upper chest, neck, back, and shoulders instead of
breathing deep to their diaphragm, which results in shallow breathing
4.
The Method - We've spoken a lot about breathing deep
and how to breathe, as well as some of the effects deep breathing can have, but how do
you actually do it?
- Practice breathing from your belly by first letting the air out of your lungs by exhaling,
almost as if you're sighing for a prolonged period
- This process will help to relax the tensed-up muscles in the upper part of your body.
Next, inhale through your nose, while pushing out your abdomen
- After you've inhaled, pause for a moment and subsequently exhale while pulling your
abdomen in, which will feel like your belly contracts as you do this
- You will notice that you take bigger breaths this way, and that you breathe slower.
Keep breathing like this for a couple of minutes and your body will already begin to feel more
relaxed
5.
Why This Works - So we've touched on the reasons why the
Wim Hof breathing method works for anxiety, such it sending signals to the brain that
you're relaxed - The reason is that controlled breathing
changes the response of the body's autonomic nervous system, which controls unconscious
processes in the body, such as your heart rate and digestion
- Consciously changing the way you breathe appears to send a signal to the brain to adjust
the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system, which naturally slows the heart rate
- All of this is what makes you feel relaxed, more in control and as a result, provides
many of the stimuli need to help control anxiety and feel more relaxed
Do you apply the Wim Hof breathing methods?
Let me know in the comments section below.
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