Better Yourself- Reaching Out & Deep Breathing

Thanks for following along with XanFree this year as we continue to try to spread awareness and help those who may be struggling right now. As we continue to dive deeper into bettering yourself, we feel it is important to explain why these techniques can help reduce and improve anxiety and stress.

Reaching Out

Giving help to someone can be a challenge. You may feel helpless and wonder what to do. Learn how to offer support and understanding and how to help your loved one get the resources to cope with what they are experiencing.

Many people are dealing with types of symptoms, so it is important to identify some of them:

Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports
Insomnia or sleeping too much
Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort
Changes in appetite — reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain
Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things

Getting Treatment

Very often, people feel embarrassed about what they are feeling and sometimes believe they should be able to overcome it alone. But with the right treatment and approach, the person you care about can get better.

Here's what you can do to help:

Talk to the person about what you've noticed and why you're concerned.
Suggest seeking help from a professional — a medical doctor or a mental health provider, such as a licensed counselor or psychologist.
Offer to help prepare a list of questions to discuss in an initial appointment with a doctor or mental health provider.
Express your willingness to help by setting up appointments, going along to them and attending family therapy sessions.

If your loved one's illness is severe or potentially life-threatening, contact a doctor, a hospital or emergency medical services.

Deep Breathing

Breathing is something in life that normally occurs without much thought. When you breathe in air, blood cells receive oxygen and release carbon dioxide.

Breathing improperly can cause an upset in the oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange. Which can then contribute to anxiety, panic attacks, fatigue, and other physical and emotional disturbances.

Breathing exercises can help in reducing anxiety and stress. These exercises are designed to assist someone correct their breathing.

Breathing Exercises

The next time you are experiencing anxiety, there are a several of deep breathing exercises to try.

Alternate-Nostril Breathing-
Belly Breathing
Box Breathing
4-7-8 Breathing
Lion’s Breath
Mindful Breathing
Pursed-Lip Breathing
Resonance Breathing
Simple Breathing Exercise

Stay Tuned

Many people can't get the help that they need. Reaching out to them is a way to help get a way to easer their struggles. Performing deep breathing exercises is another way to help improve anxiety. More exercises can be found here and here.

Check back in tomorrow, 1/13/22 to learn more about the next topic we are bringing awareness to - speaking to a professional and goal setting.

You can find all of our socials here, so you can follow along all month.