As I watched those scenes, I was reminded what a powerful tool breathing is to combat anxiety.  I come from a long line of anxious people, so watching these scenes are very poignant for me.  Jack’s technique with Randall is a gift of emotional regulation.  The act of steadying someone and helping them breathe is powerful.  Human touch can bring balance and calm, too.

That’s the gift of a show like This Is Us.  It makes us feel and imagine.  It was a scene that touched my core as these past few years, I have learned the value of breathing to help reduce my anxiety.

Over ten years ago, I learned about the affects breathing has in combination with prayer and silence.  The Jesus Prayer has been a powerful tool in my spiritual journey.  It has drawn me to depths of Christ words are too insufficient to describe.

More recently, I’ve learned the impact breathing and mindfulness has on a healthy brain and wellness, in general.  It provides much-needed chemicals to cool and calm our brain, which provides the balance it is seeking in times of anxiety and stress.

Breathing calms us, slows us down, and helps us pay attention to our body.  Our body is always communicating with us.  Typically, we never slow down long enough to pay attention.  Instead, we continue to allow stress and anxiety to overwhelm us.  When often need someone to hold our face and help us to slow down, pay attention to our body, and breathe.  For some, it can be unbelievably intense and take the form of panic attacks, as was the case for Randall in this episode.

Note:  In extreme cases of anxiety, more is often required than simply having someone hold your face and breathe with you.

Try an exercise with me.  Stop for a moment.  How does your body feel right now on a scale of 1 – 10 in terms of stress and anxiety?

Now, take a moment and pay attention to your body.

Are your shoulders relaxed?  If not, relax them.  Eyebrows?  Back?  Face muscles?  Make an effort to scan your entire body and pay attention to your tense areas.  Intentionally relax them.  Take 10 deep breaths.  Focus on your breathing.  Breathe in for seven seconds.  Hold for two seconds.  Breathe out for 11 seconds.  Repeat ten times while relaxing the muscles in your body.

Now, on a scale of 1 – 10, how do you feel in terms of stress and anxiety?  Any better?

There are countless body scans (10 minutes, 20 minutes, and the like) you can google.  They can guide you through body scans with calming voices and music.

If you do this every day, at least once, you will reap the benefits.  In fact, try stopping at least three times a day (perhaps breakfast, lunch, dinner, or before bed) and take ten deep, diaphragm filling breaths.  It only takes about 3-5 minutes.  Once you develop the habit and routine of breathing, you will find your body begin to do so involuntarily under stress and anxiety.  It’s 15-20 minutes a day worth taking.

You will eventually find that you won’t succumb to life’s stress like you used to.  Personally, I can’t fall asleep anymore without taking 10 deep breaths.  It’s nice.  Try it.

Now, if you’d like a good cry and an opportunity to watch how breathing calms and brings balance, watch Randall pass the gift of calm that comes from breathing to William in his last moments (If you’re in a hurry, start at about 5:17).  Oh…and get the tissues.