One of the quickest ways to calm a panic attack is by slowing down our breathing. During a panic attack our breathing speeds up, which raises our heart rate and can make panic even more.
We’re often told to calm down by taking deep breaths. But deep breathing can actually make things worse. If we start breathing deeper without slowing down out breathing, we can end up panting and hyperventilating. This can make it feel like we’re having difficulty breathing or even starting to suffocate, which can make us really start to panic.
So instead of trying to breathe deeper, we want to breathe slower. The video below teaches a simple and effective breathing technique to slow down our breathing during a panic attack.
Best Breathing Technique for Panic Attacks
Breathing Technique for Panic and Anxiety Longer Version
Someone requested a longer version of this breathing exercise, so the video below is the same as above, but looped a few times.
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them on the YouTube video page.