Ease anxiety in the moment with the 4-7-8 breathing technique
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I struggled with Anxiety for over half my lifetime. Letting my rogue, negative thoughts get out of control, overthinking and catastrophising about things that hadn't happened yet (and likely never would!) were par for the course throughout my day. One of the tools that worked best for me at the height of my anxiety, when I was averaging about 2.5 hours of broken sleep per night, was a really simple mindful breathing technique. This simple tool takes the focus away from your inner self talk and onto your breath and counting, grounding you in the moment. It also really helped when I woke up to get me back to sleep too. Here's how the 4-7-8-3 technique works. I hope it helps you as much as it did me.
What You'll Need
- Just yourself
What You'll Do
- Breathe in through your nose for a count of 3.
- Hold for a count of 7.
- Breathe out through your mouth for a count of 8.
- Repeat 3 times.
Tips & Warnings
- I have used this technique in SO many scenarios. Before important meetings, during arguments, to help me get to sleep. You can use it literally anytime you feel those physiological feelings of anxiety start to bubble up to calm you down and ground you back into the moment.
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