How to reduce my anxiety about coronavirus?

By David Shepard

With the devastating impact of coronavirus on the world, and the uncertainty of how long its adverse consequences will affect our lives, many people have developed increased anxiety. The worry and fears of possibly getting coronavirus every time you leave your house or come into contact with another person can be overwhelming. Continuous worries like this cause anxiety that can have a negative impact on your physical health and emotional health. So how can one reduce this anxiety while still living in a world plagued by coronavirus?

deep breathing exercises

One proven technique that has been shown to reduce anxiety is intentional deep breathing exercises.

In addition to anxiety, deep breathing exercises have been associated with meditation, mindfulness, praying, anger management and reduction of depression. The reason why deep breathing exercises are so good for anxiety is because this type of breathing stimulates our parasympathetic nervous system, which is the system in our body that promotes feelings of relaxation. Research has also shown that when practiced regularly, intentional deep breathing exercises lower cortisol levels, which relate to stress.

The great thing about intentional deep breathing exercises is that it’s free to do, you can do it anywhere, and you don’t need any equipment to do it. There are many different ways to do intentional deep breathing exercises. One way of doing intentional deep breathing is called box breathing.

box breathing

To do box breathing, you…

  1. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose for a count of four seconds.

  2. Then you hold that air in for another four seconds.

  3. Then you slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of four seconds.

  4. You repeat this whole process again after four seconds, which makes this a square pattern.

To see a major impact of box breathing or intentional deep breathing in general, you have to practice it consistently.  Practicing box breathing one to two times a day will get results of reduced anxiety and stress.  Also, engaging in these exercises for five to ten minutes is ideal.

If you are interested in additional help tackling anxiety, please contact us at TherapyNowSF for your free consultation. 

Andrea Zorbas