One of the main symptoms of anxiety It is the sensation of suffocation. It seems like you are short of breath, that you have difficulty breathing. If you do not have respiratory problems and you suffer from these episodes, it is possible that you suffer from anxiety.
What is anxiety?
Everyone can have anxiety and it is normal when faced with uncertain situations. You feel threatened by circumstances in which you do not know how to act and the body receives a warning. alert. Even anxiety can be “healthy” because it prepares us for a certain situation.
However, one must be careful when anxiety levels are disproportionate. And when are they? When these two characteristics occur:
- That anxiety is exaggerated compared to the threat.
- It hinders your life and affects all your areas (work, family and social).
Symptoms of anxiety
Anxiety does not affect everyone equally, we do not all experience the same thing or the same thing. same level. We can classify the symptoms into:
- Physical symptoms: shortness of breath, tremors, tachycardia, dizziness, nausea, sweating…
- Psychological symptoms: inability to make decisions, stress, anxiety…
- Cognitive and behavioral symptoms: Problems with concentration or memory, confusion, doubts, inability to make decisions, clumsiness, rigidity…
What to do when you are short of breath due to anxiety?
Pursed Lip Breathing
This is a type of breathing in which less energy is used when breathing. It is very effective for relaxing, as it slows down the breathing rate and therefore relieves the feeling of shortness of breath.
The steps for pursed lip breathing are:
- First, you must relax the shoulder and neck muscles.
- After, sit down in a chair where your feet reach the floor.
- Now, inhale through the nose in 2 steps slowly.
- You will feel your belly grow as you inhale that air.
- Next, purses lips as if you were going to blow out a candle or whistle.
- Finally, exhale that air again slowly, but this time in 4 beats or more.
You should not force the air out and do not hold your breath when you are pursed.
This type of breathing can also be carried out on the ground: Lie on your back, raise your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Place one hand on your chest and the other hand on your abdomen. When inhaling, the lower abdomen should rise and the hand should hardly move. When exhaling with pursed lips, the lower abdomen should fall and the hand should again remain almost motionless.
You can practice this breathing every day (about 4 or 5 times) and at any time.
How to act when you have anxiety
You can try to reduce your anxiety in the following ways:
- Express your feelings with others. Don't be afraid to say out loud how you feel. If you're feeling really stressed out one day, you can talk to family and friends, either in person or on the phone.
- Identify your negative thoughts. Once you know what they are, you can divert your attention to other areas that you find pleasant and positive.
- Keep the routine so as not to unbalance your day. Get organized and have a daily plan.
- Stop self-analyzing. Obsessing over everything you do creates anxiety. What you need to do is set short- and medium-term goals or objectives that are realistic. If these goals are too difficult to achieve or too far away, your anxiety level will increase because you won't see any results.
- Learn to relax in times of stress or tension. You can try meditation, breathing, music or reading, etc.
- Don't forget yours hygiene habitscarry a healthy eating and do exercise. Sport is essential because it will help you release those tensions, which in turn will reduce anxiety.
- Prioritize your hours of sleep. Rest is essential.
- Perform activities that you like, for example writing or sign up for an online course.
- Take time for yourself. Stop thinking about others and focus on yourself, on what you need. It may just be that one day you don't feel like doing anything or you want to take a relaxing bath.
- Surround yourself with people you care about.
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