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Psychiatrists simple hack for stopping your racing thoughts dead in their tracks
A psychiatrist has shared the simple 3-minute breathing technique that he claimed can stop your racing thoughts and return your mind to a state of calm.
We’ve all been there, on the precipice of a breakdown and wondering whether the combination of hormones and external stresses will finally break our mental health. For that reason, it’s vital to listen to advice from mental health experts.
The psychiatrist suggested diaphragmatic breathing
There are countless breathing methods lorded as life-changing, from the controlled breathing used by athletes to the Navy SEAL-approved box breathing technique. Now there is another, known as diaphragmatic breathing.
Psychiatrist Doctor Daniel Amen added weight to this technique recently as he took to his TikTok account with a handy tutorial.
“Do you have racing thoughts? Do you have a brain like the one behind me that’s just so busy,” the doctor questioned beside the MRI images. “My favorite way is diaphragmatic breathing, it’s just so helpful.”
As Daniel explained, diaphragmatic breathing is great as a reset, allowing you a moment of serenity to get your house in order. Though exact methods differ depending on the expert, the psychiatrist suggested breathing in for four seconds, holding for a second and a half, and breathing out for eight seconds.
“If you just do that for three or four minutes, it tends to really calm things down,” he added.
Why does the technique help to calm you?
Diaphragmatic breathing, sometimes called abdominal or belly breathing, is the act of tapping into your diaphragm at the base of your lungs. As reported by the Cleveland Clinic, the technique can strengthen the diaphragm, decrease oxygen demand, and slow your heart rate.
The bodily changes trigger the relaxation response, reducing your heart rate, and blood pressure, and naturally lowering your stress levels.
People besides Daniel reported positive experiences in the comments, as one person explained: “My thoughts get so loud and overlap that I actually get a headache, its so frustrating! The breathing trick helps to an extent for me but the thoughts come back very quickly.”
“Exercise never helped me. The deep breathing does for a few minutes,” another wrote, while a third added, “Exercise never helped me. The deep breathing does for a few minutes.”
