The following is an excerpt from the LiveStrong article that Natalie was featured in where she discusses dealing with afib and anxiety. The full article is linked above.
2. Practice Abdominal Breathing
Controlling your breathing is the most important strategy for managing stress — you can do it anywhere, it works faster than any anti-anxiety meds and there are no side effects, says licensed mental health counselor Natalie Fraize, LMHC, LPC.
Plus, it’s effective: “Deep abdominal breathing is scientifically proven to induce the relaxation response, resulting in lower cortisol levels, lower blood pressure and improved mood,” Fraize says.
Fraize outlines the steps to take:
- Imagine you have a balloon in your belly going up to your nose and mouth.
- Next, place your hands on your belly.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose so the air goes deep into your belly. You can imagine feeling the balloon fill; you’ll notice your hands rising.
- Once you can’t breathe in anymore, let the air out slowly through your mouth. “Imagine letting the air out of a balloon and the way the air whistles as it escapes slowly. Purse your lips so that the air slowly hisses out of your mouth, letting all the air drain from the balloon in your belly.” Fraize says.
- Once all the air is gone, repeat from the beginning. Do this for at least two minutes.
Tip
Don’t just do this when you’re feeling stressed. Practice this tactic every evening in bed as you fall asleep, Fraize recommends. “Once you’ve learned that it works, you’ll remember to use it under times of stress,” she says. For more help dealing with anxiety and afib, reach out to Natalie and her team!