by Dalene Entenmann
In daily life, minor events can cause anxiety and stress. Major life events can cause overwhelming anxiety and stress. A recent cancer diagnosis is a major event. Long-term cancer survivors can suffer from chronic anxiety and stress, as worry over cancer recurrence can persist for years. Minor, major or chronic, anxiety and stress are counterproductive in maintaining good health.
In daily life, minor events can cause anxiety and stress. Major life events can cause overwhelming anxiety and stress. A recent cancer diagnosis is a major event. Long-term cancer survivors can suffer from chronic anxiety and stress, as worry over cancer recurrence can persist for years. Minor, major or chronic, anxiety and stress are counterproductive in maintaining good health.
The conversation, between someone I meet who is recently diagnosed with cancer to long-term survivors who cannot shake the fear of a cancer recurrence, varies depending on specific circumstance. However, I always end our visit with the same advice. For now, remember to breathe.
Our breathing is so automatic, we forget, or never realize, there is more than one way to breathe. Breathing allows us to live, mastering our breath allows us to live well. If someone is suffering from anxiety or stress, they are breathing shallow. Shallow breathing is not breathing well.
Shallow breathing causes the chest to expand. Deep breathing causes the chest and abdomen to expand. To take a deep breath, slowly inhale through the nose, expanding the abdomen first, followed by the expansion of the chest. As you slowly exhale, either through the nose or mouth, allow the abdomen to fall, followed by chest.
Choose comfortable clothing and position. A beginning technique in learning to breathe well involves lying down, with one hand on abdomen and one hand on chest. This allows you to feel the rise and fall of both abdomen and chest with each inhalation and exhalation of breath. As you slowly inhale and exhale, focus on the sound of your breath. If the mind wanders, or unwelcome anxious or stressful thoughts filter in, return your focus to the sound of breathing.
According the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, "People may use relaxation techniques as part of a comprehensive plan to treat, prevent, or reduce symptoms of a variety of conditions including stress, high blood pressure, chronic pain, insomnia, depression, labor pain, headache, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, chemotherapy side effects, and others.
According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, which included a comprehensive survey of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by Americans, 12.7 percent of American adults used deep-breathing exercises.
Relaxation is more than a state of mind; it physically changes the way your body functions. When your body is relaxed breathing slows, blood pressure and oxygen consumption decrease, and some people report an increased sense of well-being."
For now, remember to breathe.