What is Reddit's opinion of Paced Breathing?

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Deep, deep breaths. Oxygen will get to your HPA axis and help calm you. Use something like this if you need it. Cold water on your hands and face, or hold a few ice cubes in your hands, or chew ice. Or cry, because it sucks and it's ok to feel that feeling.

Talk to people here about it (on a pet owner's forum, maybe), so you feel less alone.

You've lost a good friend, but you're not alone.

I'm sorry about your cat.

YES! Meditating has been the best anxiety-buster for me. On android get this app: Paced Breathing. I'm not sure about iPhone, but you're looking for an app that lets you set your inhale/exhale duration, which has vibration functions. I found inhale/exhale to 6 second each works best, enough to cultivate deep breathing but not enough to exhaust you.

Then I close my eyes, hold my phone in one hand and meditate until I feel deeply peaceful. The vibrations help keep me in the present moment, and by the end I'm fully calibrated in the present moment.

Another trick I learned was, to press your thumb to your ring finger. I'm not sure why but it feels really soothing for me.

If you don't have a phone, try the finger trick and just count up to 5 during the inhale/exhale.

MAKE SURE YOU'RE HYDRATED AND HAVE A STRAIGHT SPINE!!

When it comes to surroundings, once you're focused on your breath let yourself be aware of your surrounding and just notice how everything feels. Don't try to label it, just experience it. From the serenity of your deep and focused breathing, the external distractions will be like a dark cloud against the bright sun, it's there but it doesn't really bother you.

my stutter came from irregulary breathing.. i downloaded a breath app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apps.paced.breathing) and did that 2-3 times a day for 20 minutes and that completely fixed my stutter. Maybe it can help you too

I like the various apps that exist (like Paced Breathing https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apps.paced.breathing) that do this but progressively slow further and further down to a target breathing rate. I like to get down to 2 breaths per minute. It's like meditation heaven.

The shrink at my pain management clinic taught me a "paced breathing" technique that's quite effective for reducing my anxiety. Slowing the breathing rate is one element of the approach, but it's even more important to match the duration of inhalation to the duration of the exhalation. So if it takes me 4 seconds to inhale, it should also take me 4 seconds to exhale. The shrink recommended that I do this for a few minutes, three times a day.

Also, it helps to prolong the duration time. (That is to say, slow my breathing rate.) So if I haven't done it in a while, I might start with a duration time of 3 seconds. But once I get used to that, I try to extend it to four or five seconds.

Software can make it a lot easier. For the PC, she recommended this website, which I find helpful:

http://doasone.com/BreathingRooms.aspx?RoomID=1

On Android, I use this app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apps.paced.breathing

For me, the technique is as effective as any drug and without the ugly side effects.

Dunno how a phone app may help you with your anxiety and depression. But if you're interested I'd point you to checking out deep breathing app for Android called Paced Breathing or for iOS called Universal Breathing - Pranayama.

Be well.

Also the Paced Breathing app

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apps.paced.breathing

I'm using an app called Paced Breathing
Not sure if it's available for iOS.

Paced Breathing

The vibrate feature is useful.