There are many Singaporeans who suffer claustrophobia. Claustrophobia is defined as the “irrational fear of enclosed spaces”. Managing claustrophobia is difficult but it is possible to lessen if not eradicate the fear.

The important thing here is we believe in ourselves. If we believe that we can overcome this, we can. We can begin by learning to manage our symptoms. When we are in an enclosed space, some feel nauseous, excessively sweating or heightened heart rate.

To manage this, we have to know breathing techniques. Here are some breathing tips that we can consider:

• Evade deep breathing: When we notice the signs, it is imperative that we avoid deep breathing because it will only make things worse.
• Do not hold breath: Holding breath is as worse as deep breathing therefore it should be avoided.

• Slow and shallow breathing instead: The crucial thing here is breathing the right way. We should not forget to breath because panic took over. We have to control our breathing so it will not harm us. The best breathing technique is slow and shallow. Slow breathing should be considered to conserve carbon dioxide.

Aside from breathing techniques, we can also consider physical relaxing techniques. Here are some:

• Relaxing shoulders: We have to let our arms loose.
• Relaxing face: From the forehead to the jaw, we have to relax our face. The tension will only make things worse.
• Relax eyes: We have to be alert. The eyes should be moistened so we have to blink more.

Getting out from claustrophobia may be the greatest struggle in our life but if we are serious of lessening it if not eradicating it, we will surely be successful.