Anxiety, with other emotional health problems, are now getting more attention from the medical field unlike what it was before. This response is the result of the increasing rate of the number of people who are suffering from it.
It is not easy to manage anxiety, as posted by Reader's Digest, but because of several studies conducted regarding this emotional health issue, experts finally discovered several ways to calm those people who are experiencing it. One of the most effective ways to do it is by following the 4-7-8 breathing technique, which is also known as the "relaxing breath."
HOW TO DO THE 4-7-8 BREATHING TECHNIQUE?
This breathing technique isn't as complicated as it seems. The Medical News Today says this breathing technique is so simple that it simply "involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds". The only thing a person needs to do is to focus on making deep, long breath in and out. Repeat doing this step up to 4 times.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THIS BREATHING TECHNIQUE?
Through anecdotal evidence, experts claim how this breathing technique can help manage anxiety. It is very effective in calming people down that it can even induce sleeping in just a few minutes.
One of the experts who have high regards towards this breathing exercise is Dr. Andrew Weil, a celebrity doctor and the founder and director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. According to the doctor, the 4-7-8 breathing can help a person reduce his anxiety, help him have a quality sleep, manage his cravings especially towards unhealthy foods, and control his manias or hyper emotions.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE TO DO IT?
You might want to see astonishing results just after your first trial, but Dr. Weil says people won't be able to see results until after several tries. Better to do this technique twice every day to make it more effective. It is also crucial to keep in mind not to do more than four cycles of this breathing exercise since it could cause people to feel lightheaded, especially those who just started it.
WHAT APPS CAN BE USED FOR 4-7-8 BREATHING TECHNIQUE?
There are several phone apps available, which you can use for your new healthy routine. Two of these applications are Breathe and Prana Breath: Calm & Meditate. Breathe app is only available for Apple, and Prana Breath: Calm & Meditate, on the other hand, is available for free in the Google Play store. Both can be used to help users practice different breathing cycles and methods to feel more relaxed and stress-free.
