What is it?

Diaphragmatic breathing occurs when you use your diaphragm, a muscle located between your lungs and stomach, to breathe air in and out. Diaphragmatic breathing occurs naturally, without you having to think about it. But when you become stressed, you may resort to another type of breathing, called chest breathing. You may think that this gives you more air in your lungs, but it actually decreases the amount of air movement in your lungs, as you are not using the diaphragm to move air in and out. This then makes you even more stressed and anxious, as not you are not properly oxygenating your body, and you may resort to chest breathing as now you have learned a bad habit.

Please see the following video on how to perform diaphragmatic breathing:

Does it work?

There are studies that show it can be helpful for anxiety when it is used in combination with other coping strategies and treatments.¹

Side Effects:

No side effects noted.

Bottom Line:

Diaphragmatic breathing is a convenient, portable, and free intervention to help you reduce your overall anxiety levels. Diaphragmatic breathing is meant to augment other coping strategies and treatments for anxiety, and is not meant to be a stand-alone treatment.

What is it?

Meditation is a relaxation technique that helps to clear your mind and let go of your worries. Meditation can be done by sitting quietly in a chair, closing your eyes, and clearing your mind of all distractions. You are only focused on sitting there quietly, on the here and now. As you sit there, you notice your feet resting flat on the ground; you notice your hands resting on your legs; you notice your breaths going in and out; you notice the ticking of the wall clock; you notice the sounds of cars passing outside; you notice sounds of animals and pets out the window. You can do this for 10 minutes every day, in a quiet place with a chair. You can also meditate with others in a group.

photo credit: Getting in touch with my inner chi via photopin (license)

Does it work?

Studies show that meditation is helpful for anxiety.^1-2 However, it is still meant as an add-on therapy to other anxiety treatments.

Side Effects:

No side effects noted.

Bottom Line:

Meditation is a convenient, portable, and free intervention to help you reduce your overall anxiety levels. Meditation is meant to augment other coping strategies and treatments for anxiety, and is not meant to be a stand-alone treatment.

What is it?

Progressive muscle relaxation is a calming technique to reduce anxiety and stress. It involves going through each muscle group, and involves tensing and relaxing each muscle, in sequence, from your head down to your toes. The purpose of this exercise is to help you understand what a tense muscle feels like when you are stressed, and then what a relaxed muscle feels like when you are calm.

Please see the following video on how to perform progressive muscle relaxation:

Does it work?

Studies show that progressive muscle relaxation helps to reduce anxiety levels.1-2 However, progressive muscle relaxation is more of an add-on treatment to other primary treatments, and is not effective on its own to eradicate anxiety.

Side Effects:

No side effects noted.

Bottom Line:

Progressive muscle relaxation is a convenient, portable, and free intervention to help you reduce your overall anxiety levels. Progressive muscle relaxation is meant to augment other coping strategies and treatments for anxiety, and is not meant to be a stand-alone treatment.

What is it?

Visualization is a relaxation technique where you imagine images and scenes to help calm your anxiety. You can imagine and visualize calming and relaxing scenes from words and/or music, and this can come from an instructor or an audiovisual recording. The guided imagery helps you to focus on your senses…sights, smells, touch, sounds. This then helps you to focus on the here and now, and helps you from negative worries and nervous anticipation.

Please watch and listen to the following video, and find out for yourself how soothing visual relaxation can be:

Does it work?

Studies show that visualization and guided imagery can help to reduce anxiety.^1-2 However, visualization is more for add-on therapy, rather than a primary treatment modality.

Side Effects:

No side effects noted.

Bottom Line:

Visualization is a convenient, portable, and free intervention to help you reduce your overall anxiety levels. Visualization is meant to augment other coping strategies and treatments for anxiety, and is not meant to be a stand-alone treatment.

What is it?

Yoga is a mind-body exercise that can help to reduce anxiety and stress as a relaxation technique. Other mind-body exercises that are also used for relaxation are tai chi and qigong. Yoga is about being mindful of your physical postures, movement, muscle tone, stretches, relationship of your body parts to one another, and breathing. Yoga can help to distract you from anxiety-provoking thoughts, and can help remove you from stressful situations.

photo credit: Yoga on the Beach via photopin (license)

Does it work?

There is evidence that mind-body exercises such as yoga are effective at reducing stress and anxiety.^1-2

Side Effects:

No side effects noted.

Bottom Line:

Yoga is a convenient and portable relaxation technique that can help to reduce your anxiety levels. Yoga is effective as an add-on therapy, rather than a primary treatment for anxiety.