From Panic to Peace

Breath can shift you back toward tranquility

Oct 21, 2024

Breathing saved the day for me

The year was 2004, and I was sitting on some dirty steps behind an engineering building at Arizona State University. I wasn’t reviewing notes or having a snack.

I was having a panic attack. Right before I was supposed to teach.

In that moment, I did the only thing I could do – I breathed. Choppy at first, then a more regular rhythm.

It worked.

Once I was a little calmer (but still a bit dizzy), I stood up, dusted myself off (the steps really were filthy), and taught 50 students for 160 minutes.

Breath: A simple tool with big benefits

According to The Cleveland Clinic, “Breathing can play a huge role in…helping you to shift back toward tranquility” when you are stressed.

and breathe neon sign on tre — Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash

My body was on overload from a panic attack on those steps. My sympathetic nervous system was on overdrive with fight-or-flight.

But breathing on purpose activated my parasympathetic nervous system and calmed me down.

It worked on that day, and on many days since!

4-7-8 breathing is a powerful technique

I have since adopted a breathing technique called 4-7-8 breathing. I learned about it many years ago, and it has been a help to me at work, at night when I’m wound up before bed, and even standing behind the curtain before giving a TEDx Talk.

Per The Cleveland Clinic, here are the basics of how to do this powerful calming technique:

Inhale through your nose for four counts
Hold your breath for seven counts
Exhale through your mouth for eight counts

There is a longer lesson on the technique in the Clinic article, so if you want the full instructions - and a little more about the benefits - click here.

The Clinic says it can help promote relaxation and focus, and calm a racing mind.

I’ve noticed that it gets me calmer when I’m stressing, and helps me reset.

Practice breathing…on purpose

Here’s the MtE tip: Breathe!

In my novel, An Audible Silence, a character says, “Breathing is your occupation…all else is a hobby.”

If done with focus and attention, breathing can become one of the most powerful coping skills for dealing with daily stress.

You might still have the problem or stressor in front of you (and the dirty steps below you), but you may just be able to handle it with a little more calm and focus.

Do you have a breathing practice that works for you? Let us know in the comments!

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