Читать книгу DBT For Dummies - Gillian Galen - Страница 58

Taking a breath to target impulsivity isn’t some theoretical exercise; a research base shows that it helps. For instance, in one study, more than 500 teens aged 14 to 18 who went through a four-week program where they learned yoga-based breathing techniques had better impulse control than a comparison group of teens who didn’t go through the program.

Taking a breath is an excellent way to deal with an urge to do something impulsive. A focus on the breath is a way to reach the gap between the urge and the action, and the more you practice this, the more you’ll see that this gap exists. Also, the more you practice this, the bigger you will see that the gap is. Although you’re breathing all the time, it’s unlikely that you’re paying attention to each of your breaths. This is particularly true when an impulsive action is about to happen in the context of high emotions.

Here is a way to focus on the breath:

1 Take a deep, slow breath in through your nose. This inward breath should last somewhere from four to six seconds.

2 Breathe out through pursed lips, as if you were blowing up a balloon. The outward breath should last longer than the inward breath — for instance, five to eight seconds.

3 Focus on breathing this way for about two minutes. After a few minutes, pay attention to the point when the inward breath stops and the outward breath begins.

In this book, you should practice all the recommended exercises when you don’t need them, so that when you do need them, they are available. It’s the same as taking practice tests before an exam, so that when the exam comes, you’re ready, or practicing tennis before the match, so that when the match comes, you know what to do.

The next time you’re likely to do something impulsive, practice this breath for five minutes. You might still decide that you’re going to engage in the behavior based on your urges, but on the other hand, when you slow down, the pause might allow you to fully consider the consequence of your actions.