Breathing exercise
Try this:
- Stand or sit comfortably
- Breathe in while you count five seconds in your mind
- Breathe out while you count five seconds.
- Repeat this breathing pattern (5 seconds in, 5 seconds out) until you start to notice your symptoms getting less.
A ‘symptom’ is a sign or an experience that ‘fits’ a pattern within a particular illness, like a blocked nose is a symptom of a cold.
How long is 5 seconds?
It takes 5 seconds to “say” in your mind:
- One elephant, two elephants, three elephants, four elephants, five elephants.
Other things that can help
This breathing exercise may help you manage anxiety when it happens. If you talk to a counsellor about your worrying thoughts, they will help you to develop other ways to deal with the anxiety.
Anxiety means feeling nervous and worried.
Who is a Counsellor?
A professional who has been specially trained to support people who have been sexually assaulted or abused. The Counsellor can also speak with medical and legal services on behalf of the person if they want this.
Links
For more informationFor more information about this or to contact the South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault go to the SECASA website. |
