Stressed? Anxious? Feel like you can't breathe?
During anxious moments our bodies automatically go into "Fight or Flight" mode. This biological response works well when the perceived threat is real, however, most of today's threats are only imagined. The helpful biological response of increasing oxygen backfires and leads to an over abundance of oxygen creating to the experience a panic attack. To calm down and restore balance try long, slow, deep breathing. This tells your body that everything is OK.
Learning this one technique can calm an anxious nervous system and help to bring your mind and body back into alignment. Even Sesame Street got on board with sharing this message.
You don't have to be a preschooler to enjoy this brief tutorial on deep breathing!