Many times I have heard, “just take a deep breath,” when I’m anxious. It is good advice. Usually, though, I have to get pretty anxious and uncomfortable before I actually pause to do it. I also need more than one deep breath, and I need to put my hand on my heart to feel the hard beating in order to start to moderate the intensity.
What helps the most, though, is when I smile as I’m taking a deep breath. Closing my eyes, I breathe deeply and very slowly, smiling in my mind and smiling outwardly. A smile brings my gratitude back to the fore, and I feel my blessings.