Breathing Right How To Manage Anxiety & Hypertension!

Just Breathe!!! Everything's going to be ok; it will reduce your BP and make you feel less anxious!

- Rajiv Ambat

Sounds pretty simple..isn’t it!? A normal human being breathes in and out nearly 8 – 15 times in a minute. But did you know almost all of us do not breathe in and breathe out the right way!? So, what is the right way of breathing in and breathing out!?

There are two types of breathing that we can do – chest breathing and the abdominal (or diaphragmatic) breathing!

Chest Breathing

Chest breathing is characterised by the upward and downward movement of the chest, almost at a rapid pace. This usually happens as part of the sympathetic nervous system, when we are stressed, angry, or frightened, which requires a rapid heart rate, higher blood pressure, etc. to increase the blood flow to muscles as we get into the flight or fight mode. To put it very simple – chest breathing is mostly about stress.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing, also known as belly breathing or deep breathing, is a technique where you breathe deeply into your diaphragm, instead of shallowly into your chest. This can be beneficial for relaxation, stress reduction, and overall respiratory health.

To practice diaphragmatic breathing, you should sit or lie in a comfortable position and place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Then, inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your belly to rise as you fill your lungs with air. Exhale slowly through your mouth, allowing the belly to fall to its normal position. Repeat this process for several minutes. (The hand placed on the chest is to notice and make sure that you are not doing upper chest-based shallow breath)

Advantages of diaphragmatic breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing has several advantages, including: