Hi there, I'm Martin. We've all been there. You're in a meeting, after dinner or in a crowded
shop, and that wave of heat starts to climb up your neck. You feel everyone can see it,
and that makes the panic even worse. But here's the secret. You can shut down a panic
attack without anyone in the room even noticing you're doing it.
We're going to use the 369 stealth method. It's a breathing pattern that priorities the
exhale to trick your vagus nerve into the rest and digest move. No deep gauze, no loud
size, just quiet, invisible control. I want you to keep your eyes open. Look at something
in the room, a coffee cup, a chair, a window. Keep your mouth closed. We're going to breathe
in through the nose for three. Hold gently for six. An exhale for nine. Now let's try it
now. Breathe in through your nose, one, two, three. Hold it just like the air sit there,
one, two, three, four, five, six. Now exhale through your nose. So slowly, no one can hear it.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. And again, in for three, two, one. Hold
one, two, three, four, five, six. Exhale for nine. Feel the tension leaving your hands and
your feet as the air moves out of your nose. Keep exhaling, keep the count going. Go on.
And one more time. Inhale, three, two, one. Hold, five, four, three, two, one. Exhale, eight,
seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Well done. By making your out breath three times
longer than the in breath, you are sending a biological, all clear signal to your brain. You
aren't fighting the anxiety. You're quietly changing the channel. You're still in the
room. You're still in the conversation. But now you're the one in charge of the rhythm.
Keep this three, six, nine count in your pocket for the next time. You feel that heat rising.
You've got this. This is calming anxiety. I'm Martin Hewlett, Smile once, and be kind
to yourself.