PsychBytes with CCS
PsychBytes is presented by The Ohio State University, Office of Student Life Counseling and Consultation Service. We provide a wide range of information pertaining to mental health topics, commonly asked questions, available resources, and general psycho-education that centers on the college demographic. The aim is to reduce stigma around mental health, reduce barriers to treatment, normalize experiences, and educate on prevention, intervention, and resources related to emotional and mental wellbeing.
PsychBytes with CCS
Quick Skills: Box Breathing
In this episode learn how to utilize the skill Box Breathing to regulate and manage anxiety related symptoms.
Psych Bytes with CCS is a weekly podcast hosted by Student Life's Counseling and Consultation Service. This show is dedicated to discussing a wide range of topics pertaining to mental health commonly experienced in the college setting. It is important to note that this podcast is not a substitute for therapy. All of the topics on this show, while discussed by professionals, are strictly psychoeducational and meant to inform listeners on available resources, skills, and support. Topics on this show can be sensitive in nature, and should you find yourself needing additional support or resources, please visit ccs.osu.edu or call us at 614-292-5766. With that in mind, enjoy the show. What is up everyone and welcome to PyschBytes with CCS. My name is Josh and today we are going to be doing something a little bit different in that I am flying solo in order to bring you a new series called quick skills. What are quick skills? Well, they are skills that you can learn quickly. And for today's episode, we are going to be starting with something we all do every day, anyways, and that is breathing. I know I can hear you in the background. Oh my gosh, another person telling me to take a breath and calm down. Well, guess what, buddy? I've already tried it. It doesn't work. So why would I listen to this episode? Well, I agree you probably have tried it in the past and it didn't work. And I'm going to assume that it didn't work because you were missing a critical ingredient, and that is timing. So we're going to be talking about box breathing. And the way box breathing works is we break our breath cycle into four parts. And for each one of those parts, we're going to go for a defined amount of time. So for today's purpose, we are going to go for five seconds per part. So let's talk about how to do a cycle. So you're going to start off by breathing in one, two, three, four, five. Hold that breath. One, two, three, four, five. Exhale slowly. One, two, three, four, five. Hold again. One, two, three, four, five. And there you have it. That is one cycle of box breathing. So let's go ahead and talk a little bit about why it works and why you might want to try it out. So first off, when I'm anxious or worried about something, I'm often worrying about what if, right? So thinking about what could happen, what has happened, what I would like to have have happened differently. Either way, I'm thinking about stuff that isn't here or now. And through box breathing, I'm forcing my brain to focus on the here and now because it not only has to control how I'm breathing, but it's also counting inside of my head. So my brain is not a good multitasker. It needs a task. And if I don't give it one, it will find something to do. And oftentimes it is worrying about things in the future. So this is going to bring us back to the here and now and focus us in on a task. Additionally, when I do box breathing, I am going to force my body into a cool down state. And this is something that you can actively monitor because what it's going to do is it's going to drop your heart rate and it's going to lower your blood pressure, all things you can measure. And what's cool about this is even if you feel like you're cool as a cucumber right now and you practice this exercise for a couple of rotations, you will actively be able to see your heart rate or blood pressure drop. Other things you might notice while you do it is you find that your hands and feet start to feel warmer. You'll notice your body starts to loosen up and relax, and you will feel a lot more focused and present. So, where can this be helpful? Well, if you have trouble sleeping at night, try this out for a little bit. If you're getting ready to take a big exam and you're feeling super nervous, practice this before, during, and after the exam. It's good for sitting down to try to study. It's good for any situation where you just want to feel locked in and calm. So I encourage you, try this out. Next time you're just walking around, sitting in your car, sitting in your room, sitting in an exam, don't care. Try it out. See if it doesn't work. And keep in mind, the more stressed out you are, the more cycles of box breathing you're probably going to need to do, right? Imagine it like blinders. And if it's a little problem, the blinders aren't blown that far out. But if it's a big problem or a big stressor, the blinders might get blown way out. And it's going to take several more breaths to pull them back in so that you can focus on what's in front of you and not worrying about what if. And there you have it, your quick skill for today, box breathing. Keep your eyes peeled for future quick skill episodes. And until that time, I've been Josh, and this has been PsychBytes with CCS.