Deep Breathing

Deep breathing is an important skill that you can use to activate your relaxation response, both to prevent your headache attacks and as an acute management skill to use during an attack.

Gently guiding yourself into a comfortable seated position and allowing your body to fully supported by the chair, observing any areas of tension in your body.

If you'd like, you can close your eyes or gently gaze down on a single spot in front of you, allowing the feelings of tension in your body to be released as you feel a sense of calmness and relaxation.

Placing one hand on your chest and one on your belly, just noticing which hand moves.

Now slowly inhaling through your nose as your belly rises and your ribs expand and gently exhaling through your mouth as your belly deflates, observing that only one hand on your belly is moving as your chest remains still.

Now continuing in this relaxed way of breathing, taking a slow deep breath in and out, noticing that as you breathe in, your belly expands and when you breathe out, your belly contracts, slowly and deeply breathing, enjoying the sensations of relaxation in your body.

I'm now going to count down from three to one as you prepare to become more alert.

Three and when you're ready, gently opening your eyes.

Two, bringing your attention back to your current surroundings.

And one, feeling fully awake and refreshed as you continue to notice the benefits of this relaxed state throughout the rest of your day.