Moss Rocks Review, May 2006
John R. Cook, Ph.D.
Registered Psychologist

Heeby jeebies is the title of a Little Richard song that starts out, "Bad luck baby put the jinx on me, I got the heeby jeebies and I can't get well". It's also an apt description of the physical sensations people associate with being anxious.

You will recall from the March issue of the Moss Rocks Review that anxiety is a kind of "false alarm" to situations that are objectively not dangerous. This month's article is about how the physical sensations associated with this false alarm can be managed through the use of physical relaxation techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing and progressive muscle relaxation. These techniques dampen our response to the alarm, making it less likely that we will startle when the alarm bell goes off. The result is a lower resting level of anxious arousal, and reduced likelihood of worry, panic attacks, obsessions and intrusive reminders of past trauma.

Diaphragmatic breathing. Place one hand on your chest and the other over your belly button. Continue breathing as you normally would, and notice which hand senses the greatest amount of movement. If all of the movement is in your belly, then congratulations, you are already a diaphragmatic breather. If not, take heart, we'll have you breathing smoothly and easily from your belly after a week or so of daily practice.

Start by finding a comfortable reclining chair, couch or bed in a location that is free from distraction. Assume a comfortable resting position by laying down on your back with your hands at your side and all parts of your body fully supported. Loosen any tight or restrictive clothing. Close your eyes, and just before your next breath in, start to extend the muscles of your abdomen and lower rib cage outward. Notice how this enhances the flow of air into your lungs, so much so, that you will be able to reduce your dependence on chest muscles to do the job.

These new breathing movements may initially feel awkward, and you may experience some light headedness and tingly sensations in your extremities associated with overbreathing. The awkwardness will be replaced with a sense of ease and well-being as you practice. The overbreathing is evidence of this new method of breathing being much more efficient and natural. Try taking slower, perhaps deeper breaths. You will still get all the air you need.

Practise the mechanics of breathing from deep in your body on a daily basis until they become automatic. If you are a diehard chest breather, this may take a week or longer as the secondary air pump in your upper chest goes on standby, and the primary air pump engine in your abdomen and lower rib cage gradually takes over. Be patient with yourself as you complete this "leap of faith". You will find, to your surprise and possible amazement, that your anxiety will lose its edge after as few as two or three diaphragmatic breaths.

Progressive muscle relaxation. Instruction in progressive muscle relaxation is provided as part of a four-week home-study program designed to teach you relaxation by recall - how to relax the major muscle groups of your body, simply by thinking about them. The program does this by first teaching you how to produce and release tension from 16, 8 and 4 major muscle groups using progressive relaxation. The four-week Deep Muscle Relaxation training series of audio cassette tapes and CDs are available through Feel Better Solutions.