Stressed out? Breathe out

  • Published
  • By Brian P. Smith
  • TriWest Healthcare Alliance
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  You're watching the phone, waiting to hear if you got that job. You're sitting in the audience as your daughter starts her first piano recital. You're waiting for the daily email from your deployed spouse. You're walking through the mall, still trying to get used to crowds after deployment.

These can all be stressful situations. Stress is a part of everyday life for servicemembers, veterans and families dealing with multiple deployments, homecomings and all the other demands of a military lifestyle.

Take a deep breath....
When you are stressed, do you ever focus on your breathing?

Most of the time, it's an automatic process. Slowing down and concentrating on your breathing can help you react in stressful situations. During stress and times of anger, the body's first reaction is to inhale and hold your breath. Breathing out slowly helps take the body out of the "fight or flight" mode.

The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DcoE, http://www.dcoe.health.mil) work to promote the resilience and recovery of military members and their families. Their research shows that breathing exercises can help decrease the body's "fight or flight" response to stress. Certain types of breathing exercises can also help control anger and anxiety.

There's an app for that
Your smartphone can help you learn these exercises and improve control over your body's reactions to stress. The National Center for Telehealth and Technology is a part of the DCoE that develops technology. They've created tools to help you to manage your breathing (along with handy phone apps to track your mood and teach you about post-traumatic stress). Visit http://www.t2health.org/apps to learn more about their tools and apps.

Pace yourself
Find more tips just like this http://www.triwest.com. The Behavioral Health Resource Center (triwest.com/BH) is an online library with articles about stress, parenting, relationships and other issues. You can read articles on a wide range of topics, find links to the latest relevant information and take self-assessments when it's convenient for you.