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October 7, 2005

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Tip of the Week

Just BREATHE!

Sounds simple, doesn't it? If you're feeling stressed, anxious, or uptight, someone is bound to tell you "just relax and breathe," "focus on you breathing," or "take deep breaths." Believe or not, though, most of us have forgotten exactly how breathe, or at least how to do it correctly.

Taking deep breaths refers to a specific type of breathing called "diaphragmatic breathing." When you engage in diaphragmatic breathing, you are using your abdomen to breathe all the way down into your diaphragm rather than taking more shallow breaths, which permit the air to enter your lungs only. By breathing into your diaphragm, you access more oxygen, which then enters your blood stream and facilitates relaxation.

Now that you know what diaphragmatic breathing is, here's how to do it correctly:

1. Sit or lie in a comfortable position.
2. Place one hand on your sternum (just above your chest) and the other just below your rib cage over your abdomen.
3. Slowly breathe in through your nose, allowing the lower hand over your abdomen to rise while keeping the upper hand on your chest as still as possible.
4. Once your abdomen has filled with air, then breathe additional air into your chest, allowing your upper hand to rise as well.
5. Slowly exhale through your mouth, first emptying your abdomen of air and allowing your lower hand to fall, then allowing the upper hand to fall as the air exits your lungs.

For best results, practice this technique daily until diaphragmatic breathing becomes a habit-you will likely find yourself feeling calmer and more relaxed, and all you did was BREATHE!

YAWA! Question of the Week

How do I know if I have obsessive-compulsive disorder? Can you develop it?

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder. It consists of either obsessions, compulsions, or both obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions can be defined in different ways; two of the most common are as follows: 1) persistent thoughts, images, or impulses that are disturbing and intrusive, and 2) persistent thoughts, images, or impulses that go beyond real life worries and usually have an unrealistic quality about them (e.g., worrying that a plane will crash into your class room). Compulsions are repetitive behaviors (e.g., hand washing, repeated checking of things like locks) or mental acts (counting, repeating words silently) that a person feels compelled to do in order to reduce distress. Sometimes a person might feel a need to perform compulsive acts to keep something bad from happening. Usually, resisting a compulsion increases a person's anxiety or discomfort. OCD generally begins in adolescence or early adulthood. Because obsessive and compulsive symptoms can be similar to other psychological disorders, it is best to consult with a mental health professional, such as a psychologist, to determine if you actually have OCD. Such a consultation would also provide you with information about what can be done to treat this disorder.

(YAWA is an anonymous, online Q & A service on the Health & Counseling website.
If you have a question for YAWA, log onto Ask YAWA!)