THIS Is What Happens If You Blow With Your Thumb In The Mouth For 60 Seconds…

Antonia Maria Valsalva – ain’t that a fancy science textbook-ish name? I can’t agree more! This brainy Italian dude was all fond of ears. A fancy technique, quite like his name, called Valsalva Manoeuvre, was identified by him to make pressure readjustments in the body, particularly in the nose and ears. So, what has that go to do with blowing with your thumb inside the mouth? This practice too employs the same technique. Now, how does this help you?

If you are one of those who frequently has that heart-in-the-mouth feeling, this Valsalva Manoeuvre is for you. The next time you sense that happening, quickly put your thumb in your mouth and start blowing. In 60 seconds or so, you will realize that you have calmed down. You calm down because forcefully exhaling the air out through a blocked airway (your mouth is the airway that is blocked with your thumb) causes vagal nerve stimulation.

The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in your body, which originates in the brain and touches various organs on its way before it ends in the gut. When you blow air forcefully with the finger in the mouth, this vagal nerve is stimulated, and the immediate result is the heartbeat slowing down. This is the simplest way of stopping your heart from pounding and your mind from racing during a full-blown panic attack. However, the same effect can be brought about by a few of the following techniques.

• You could splash cold water on your face or dip your face in a tub that’s filled with cold water. This might feel overwhelming because you tend to stop breathing for a brief second but will resume normal breathing soon after. If you feel sticking your finger in the mouth is too gross, you could get a little athletic and try this dip, which is also called as the diving reflex.

• Another technique you could try is pinch your nostrils with your fingers and exhale with the mouth closed. This again stimulates the vagus nerve and drops the pulse instantly, leaving you relieved and relaxed.

Well, that was all about Valsalva, but experts say that there are a few more things you could do when you feel you are panicking. If you find yourself battling such kind of situations often, here’s a list of things for you to keep in mind.

• I can’t stress enough on the importance of breathing. Taking deep breaths is beneficial even for people who don’t suffer from anxiety-related problems. However, you bundles of nerves, just sit back, inhale, count till 5, hold your breath, count till 7, and then (this is the most important part of this technique) exhale while you count till 9. Slowly exhaling helps you calm your nerves.

• Wear those shoes and hit the roads. A good workout session can calm you down in no time when you can’t seem to gather yourself together. It might sound like I’ve gone outta my mind to ask you to run when your heart’s already racing, but believe me, using up all the excess adrenaline really works to get that anxiety under control.

• Also, I might again sound like I am crazy, but take advantage of your panic attack since this is a fantastic opportunity for you to sit and analyze what kinds of thoughts bother you. It is one of the most effective ways to understand those little things that go around in your head and stop you from being peaceful.

• Realize that this is just a biochemical imbalance in your head and that’s the best way to put a full stop to your racing thoughts. More than the thoughts and the pounding heart, your heightened awareness of them is what leads to a panic attack. Just tell yourself “this too shall pass,” and that shall actually pass.

There are tons of ways in which you can turn your anxiety into something that’s more of a boon than a curse if you know how to control your bouts. Seeking medical and therapeutic help quite often than not teaches you how you can be an emotional anchor for yourself. Also, that’s the time you give yourself to come up with a reality check in life where you analyze and re-analyze the situations you are in. You stop, your world stops for a while, and all you should realize is you are your cushion to fall back on, and no one else can drag you out from that mental chaos. I love to grab my pair of shoes and move both geographically and mentally away from my triggers until I come to terms with them. What’s your way to deal with anxiety? Leave a comment below.

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Rachana C

Twenty seventeen says Rachana Chandrasekhar is a content writer at IncNut Digital. Of course, twenty twelve thought she'd be a vegetable vendor in an Italian countryside. Don't be too overwhelmed if twenty twenty finds her basking in the raptures of driving the fastest car on some obscure racing course.

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