Exercises to Calm Your Anxious Thoughts

Hi, this is Bing. I’m glad you’re interested in learning how to rewrite an article in the style of Brené Brown, a researcher, storyteller, and author who has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy1. Brené Brown’s writing style is engaging, conversational, and personal. She often uses anecdotes from her own life or research to illustrate her points, and she invites the reader to join her in exploring their own emotions and experiences. She also uses humor, metaphors, and questions to make her writing more relatable and accessible. Here is an example of how I would rewrite the article you provided in the style of Brené Brown:

How to Breathe Your Way Out of Anxiety

I don’t know about you, but anxiety sucks. It’s like a gremlin that sneaks up on me when I least expect it, whispering all kinds of scary and mean things in my ear. Sometimes it makes me feel like I can’t breathe, like there’s not enough air in the room or in my lungs. And that just makes me more anxious, which makes me breathe faster and shallower, which makes me more anxious… You get the picture.

It’s a vicious cycle that can be hard to break. But I’ve learned that one of the most powerful tools we have to fight anxiety is our breath. Yes, our breath. Something so simple and basic that we often take it for granted. But breathing is not just a physical function; it’s also an emotional one. How we breathe affects how we feel, and how we feel affects how we breathe.

That’s why learning to control our breathing can help us control our anxiety. Research has shown that breathing exercises can reduce anxiety, stress, and negative emotions in a variety of situations2. By practicing breathing exercises regularly, we can train ourselves to breathe more deeply and calmly, which can help us cope with anxiety when it strikes.

I want to share with you some of the breathing exercises that have helped me and many others deal with anxiety. They’re simple, easy, and effective. You can do them anywhere, anytime, whether you’re feeling anxious or not. All you need is your breath and a few minutes of your time.

Deep or Belly Breathing

This is the foundation of all breathing exercises. It’s about filling your lungs fully and slowly, which helps you slow down your breathing and prevent hyperventilation (when you breathe too fast and lose too much carbon dioxide). Hyperventilation can cause symptoms like breathlessness, dizziness, and confusion, which can make you feel more anxious3. Deep breathing can reverse these symptoms and help you relax.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down.

2. Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly, just below your ribs.

3. Breathe in slowly through your nose and focus on filling the deepest parts of your lungs. Notice how your belly rises as you inhale, but your chest stays still.

4. Breathe out through your mouth, making a small circle with your lips. Exhale all the air out of your lungs.

5. Repeat this three to ten times, or as long as you need.

Try to do this exercise every day for at least five minutes. It will help you get used to breathing deeply and calmly.

Calming Breathing

This is a variation of deep breathing that helps you create a rhythm with your breath. It’s like counting sheep with your lungs. It can help you distract yourself from anxious thoughts and focus on something else.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Sit or lie down somewhere comfortable where you feel supported, such as a bed or a chair. If you’re wearing anything tight that makes it hard to breathe, loosen it up.

2. Place your feet about hip-width apart on the floor or on the bed with your knees bent.

3. Keep your arms away from your sides, such as on the arms of the chair or on the bed.

4. Breathe in deeply and slowly through your nose for a count of five. If five is too long for you, count as high as you can comfortably.

5. Without pausing or holding your breath, breathe out through your mouth for a count of five.

6. Repeat this for up to five minutes or until you feel calm.

You can do this exercise whenever you feel anxious or stressed. It will help you slow down your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.

4-7-8 Breathing

This is another variation of deep breathing that involves holding your breath for a short period of time. It can help you balance the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood, which can calm your nervous system. It can also help you fall asleep faster if you do it before bed.

Here’s how to do it:

1. While sitting or lying down comfortably, place one hand on your chest and one on your belly.

2. Breathe in deeply through your nose, expanding your belly, for a count of four.

3. Hold your breath for a count of seven.

4. Breathe out through your mouth, making a whooshing sound, for a count of eight. Try to empty your lungs completely.

5. Repeat this four times or until you feel calm.

You can do this exercise once or twice a day, preferably in the morning and at night. It will help you relax and sleep better.

I hope these breathing exercises will help you as much as they have helped me and many others. Remember, anxiety is not something to be ashamed of or afraid of. It’s a normal human emotion that we all experience from time to time. But we don’t have to let it control us or limit us. We can use our breath as a powerful ally to face our fears and live more fully.

I’m curious to hear from you. What are some of the ways you cope with anxiety? How do you use your breath to calm yourself? Share your thoughts and stories with me in the comments below or on social media. And don’t forget to breathe!