When we open and relax into the energy in the breath, when our breathing is coordinated, and the breathing mechanism is strong and flexible, when we add the secret sauce of conscious intention to the breathing, then you have at your disposal something that can help you accomplish and achieve anything. — Dan Brule, Just Breathe, 2017
Breathing is a powerful tool we often take for granted.
Source: Jeremy Bishop / Unsplash
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a handy, inexpensive tool you could retrieve any time you had an intrusive thought that just would not leave your head and give you peace? Wouldn’t it be helpful to mitigate the pain and stress from cycling—and the compulsive follow-up behaviors that can follow those obsessive thoughts—in just a few seconds? Our bodies are actually equipped to help reduce these stressors, just by breathing. Let’s explore the linkage of obsessive-compulsive cycles and breathwork in two areas—fright-flight responses and diaphragmatic breathing—and consider a technique you can use in daily practice.
Fright-Flight Responses
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is grounded in fear and uncertainty. When we are afraid, our bodies can react with shallower and quicker breathing, increased pulse, sweating, dizziness, and other indicators of the engaged somatic nervous system (Abramowitz, 2021; Norton & Antony, 2021). Obsessions can trigger “fright-or-flight” responses more often and more intensely for those with OCD (Abramowitz, 2021). For example, a person driving down a quiet road who suddenly goes over a bump may normally have nothing to worry about—but another driver with OCD in the same conditions may begin to perseverate about the bump and wonder if that was instead a person she ran over. While she continues to drive repeatedly around the block several times to confirm, without satisfaction, that she did not harm anyone, her anxiety level increases along with the physiological indicators. If she then chooses to move to the side of the road and begin diaphragmatic breathin, as she’s been guided to do by a professional healthcare provider, she may find that her physical symptoms subside enough so that she can focus again on her immediate tasks, such as driving safely home.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Diaphragmatic (or belly) breathing, according to the American Lung Association, is a technique that can help individuals “slow down” their breathing so they can use less energy to breathe and train the lungs to work more efficiently (2023). It is a useful technique to help people deal with anxiety, trauma, and stressors. Evidence indicates diaphragmatic breathing also helps counteract “triggered” responses to stress and anxiety (Cleveland Clinic, 2022). In particular, such breathing practices have been shown to help relax patients by reducing their blood pressures and heart rates (2022). Diaphragmatic breathing techniques can also help reduce anxiety (Norton & Antony, 2021).
Try This
Breathing exercises can help us center and become more mindful by helping us become more aware of our bodies and our surroundings, rather than our distracting obsessions and fears (Culkin & Culkin, 2021). As I have written in a previous post, mindful practices can help disrupt OCD cycles and put us at ease.
It’s relatively easy to practice diaphragmatic breathing. The next time you feel anxious, or find yourself mired in an obsessive-compulsive cycle or just feel unsettled by life, try this method from the Cleveland Clinic (2022):
- Get into a posture that is comfortable for you. It may be standing or laying on your back but it should entail keeping your stomach free. Place one hand on your chest and the other below your rib cage.
- Inhale slowly through your nose, raising the hand on the chest while keeping the hand on the stomach still.
- Tighten the stomach muscles up so the stomach moves in, exhaling through pursed lips while the chest remains still as possible.
- Continue for about 5-10 minutes, about 3 or 4 times per day.
Conclusion
OCD cycles and breathwork are connected in two key areas: fright-flight responses and diaphragmatic breathing. By practicing diaphragmatic breathing techniques, we can mitigate our responses to extreme situations and enhance our resilience. When you have a mental illness in the family, belly breathing is a nice tool to have. As one who “cycles” himself, I can testify to its effectiveness.