Do you ever suffer from performance anxiety? Don't worry, everyone experiences this from time to time. No matter your confidence, sometimes you're put into difficult situations. Such as competing in an important career match or your match determines a team win. Whatever the cause, I want to introduce you to a breathing technique to help calm the nerves.
4-7-8
So what is 4-7-8? It's a breathing pattern that aims to reduce anxiety or aid in sleep. The process begins with breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. Here's how to execute it properly.
Perform the following breathing pattern
- exhale until the lungs are empty
- breathe in through the nose for 4 seconds
- hold the breath for a 7 seconds
- exhale forcefully through the mouth, making a "whoosh" sound, for 8 seconds
- repeat the this up to 4 times
The next time you experience any performance anxiety, try the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique.