That happened to a weatherman live on air and he handled it brilliantly.

I listened to a BBC5 Live show on BBC Sounds this morning from last Thursday in which the presenter Rima Ahmed flagged how Nate Byrne got into breathing difficulties.

The response from a psychologist on the show went down the mainstream route mentioning betablockers amongst other measures.

Having a panic attack can happen because of your history and perhaps trauma. However, it can also be driven by habit – an over breathing habit.

So what’s the remedy?

Practising daily to lower your breathing rate is key.

This forms part of a breathing re-education programme that long term, can rid you of the wretched panic attack syndrome that tends to only go away with a preventative protocol.

Our brains and hearts are not designed to live on a heightened sense of anticipation.

Here’s one way to kill a panic attack in less than 30 seconds.

Take a gentle breath in for 3 seconds then a gentle exhale for 5.

Pinch your nose and hold, mouth closed for 5 seconds then remove fingers from your nose, mouth still closed and relax for 10 seconds.

Repeat six times and see how you feel.

Breathing less reduces anxiety, lowers your pulse rate and steadies your heart rate variability.

That’s a small insight into how the power of the breath can assist in mastering your nervous system.

Reach out for more information via joel@sniffsighyawn.com