Try this experiment: Sit straight in a chair. Place one hand on your lower stomach and the other on your chest. Take a very deep breath through your nose. Which hand rises? If your chest rises instead of your stomach, you are breathing incorrectly and are restricting your oxygen intake.

When we are under extreme stress, our physiological/mental/emotional systems react to it the way they would react to an actual physical threat. This unconscious reflex causes our muscles to tighten to prepare us for making a life-saving “fight or flight” response. Most of us automatically tighten our stomach muscles and diaphragm - and, as a result, we stop breathing normally. We begin to breathe with our chest muscles, which does nothing but expand the upper chest. This causes shortness of breath, a decrease in our oxygen supply, and anxiety. And if the anxiety is severe, it can diminish our ability to think or act effectively.

To alleviate this problem, practice the following exercises.

1. Learn to breathe properly. Lie on your back on your bed. Place your hand on your lower stomach. Breathe deeply through your nose, focusing on directing the breath to your stomach. When you breathe out, press gently on your stomach to push the air out. Repeat the process, taking a break after every third breath. Practice for five minutes a day.

2. Practice deep breathing throughout the day. Take a deep breath every time the phone rings, before you start your car, every time you look at your watch, when you wake up, when you go to bed, before you eat. Your body will be more relaxed, your mind will be clearer, and you will have less anxiety.