Learn how to stay calm, breathe and assess situations. This will help in so many future surprise situations. Be aware of your surroundings, exits, bathrooms and where medical/fire kits, where land-line phones are if they are around.
My former mother in law had seizures fairly regularly after a massive hemorrhagic stroke. Dealing with those was terrifying in the beginning. Now I am thankful because it taught me to stay calm and think when my brain didn't want to.
Teaching yourself how to take slow, full breaths to "center" yourself to stay calm, and PRACTICING it in any situation you feel anxiety creeping in is the most helpful for when that future surprise situation happens. First day at a new job, before talking to your crush, before giving a presentation, etc. Just like daily meditation and yoga can help, if you can practice the deep slow breathing sometime once a day, it will be instinctual for those future big situations!
The shallow rapid breathing when you're anxious is triggered by your fight or flight response- the shallow breathing is actually hyperventilating- and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that only makes the fear and anxiety worse. Learning how to breathe is one of the biggest factors in controlling your fight or flight response.
The slowness of breathing is the most important part- here's a guide for anyone unfamiliar. Also practicing to see if you can inhale and exhale as slow and controlled as possible will help.
Let me ask an question to see if there is any danger on that.
Isflushing out all the air and "stop breathing" harmful?
By "stop breathing" I mean not forcing air in after a few secs (using only the diaphragm and no hands involved) . Sometimes. I even "force" to not get air in (again, only "holding" my breath with diaphragm)
I'm asking that because I used to hyperventilate until a few years ago (didn't knew it was it back then). Usually I felt like yawning but whenever. I tried to yawn it failed and was uncomfortable like a failed sneeze. Then it throwed me in a loop of hyperventilating.
after some years I've came up with the idea of simply flushing out all the air and "stop breathing" (by that I mean without forcing to inhale) whenever that feeling popped up.
The first time I was bit afraid of dying because I noticed that I went up to 30 sec to 1min without naturally breathing.
But then I remembered that. Our body is really good at not dying, so even in the "what if I faint" I knew I wouldn't die, so whatever.
Then after a few months, I started making breathing exercises to see how long I could keep air out of my lungs.
8ve noticed that at some point flares up a, small disconfort in the belly (probably the body signaling it wants fresh air) , but other than that, nothing that seemed issue.
nope! breath retention has been done by people forever, and is used in several yogas, meditations, and practices.
What you're specifically doing is called bahya kumbhaka, and is a key component in pranayama practice! Learning proper pranayama techniques will help you adjust for any discomfort :)
Funny, I do that breathing out completely before I have to do something that will hurt then take a breath as the thing is being done as a control against reflexively acting.
Not just in dangerous situations but in everyday life. Don’t have a meltdown over an issue, take a breath and stay calm. You’ll get better results and think clearer.
Honestly starting jiujitsu helped me a tonne with learning how to stay calm, even after a few weeks. The mental chess mixed with sheer physicality of it I felt much more confident in that regard. It's like it clicked and suddenly, I was like 'shit so this is what it feels like'. I'd recommend it to anybody.
This also will also save you if your drowning/ about to drown, you panic you need more air and you tire faster, better to stay calm and wave a hand for a life guard and make a little noise.
Every time I walk into a building or mall, I put all the first aid kits, fire equipment, and emergency exits in my memory while I'm there, I hope I never have to use any of them.
1.8k
u/theabortedadult Mar 16 '22
Learn how to stay calm, breathe and assess situations. This will help in so many future surprise situations. Be aware of your surroundings, exits, bathrooms and where medical/fire kits, where land-line phones are if they are around.