Typically, people who come to me for treatment for anxiety and stress have become “chest breathers” and forgotten how to breathe deeply and naturally in a way that counteracts stress. I teach each of my clients a simple yet powerful breathing technique called 7/11 breathing (breathe in to a count of 7, exhale to a count of 11) and also to breathe as a child does i.e with the diaphragm not the chest!
To find our more about the virtues of ‘belly breathing’ and how to do it, click here for a great short article on the subject- it’s from Harvard Medical School health publishing (which by the way is a a great website free source of helpful advice).