Meditation and breathing practices

Why meditation and breathing practices are effective at quitting gambling

1. Reducing stress and anxiety levels. Gambling triggers the release of dopamine and adrenaline, which increases emotional tension. Meditation and conscious breathing activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and restoring emotional balance.

2. Increasing self-control. Regular practice develops the skills of observing thoughts and emotions without identifying with them. This allows you to stop the impulse of "another bet" at the stage of impulse generation.

3. Strengthening the resource state. Instead of a short-term "high" from winning, you build a stable feeling of inner support and peace.

How breathing affects the nervous system

Diaphragmatic breathing (deep, "belly") stimulates the vagus nerve, which reduces heart rate and normalizes pressure.

Rhythmic breath delays activate the balance of "inhalation - exhalation," while the ratio of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity is straightened.

Conscious breathing contributes to the "switching of attention" from anxious thoughts to specific bodily activity, which reduces obsessive desires and distracts from game scenarios.

Basic breathing techniques

1. Diaphragmatic (abdominal) breathing

How to perform: sit straight or lie on your back with one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. When inhaling, the abdomen rises, the chest remains motionless. When exhaled, the abdomen descends.

Recommendations: 5-7 minutes at a calm pace, 6-8 cycles per minute.

2. Square breathing (Box breathing)

1. Inhale - 4 counts

2. Delay - 4 counts

3. Exhale - 4 counts

4. Delay - 4 counts

The goal: to level the rhythm, increase concentration. 4-6 cycles is enough for immediate effect.

3. Technique "4-7-8"

Pattern: inhale for 4 counts, delay for 7, exhale for 8.

Effect: more pronounced effect on the parasympathetic system, rapid calming with high voltage.

4. Alternative nostril breathing (Nadi shodhana)

1. Close the right nostril with your thumb, inhaling through the left for 4-6 counts.

2. Cover your left nostril with your ring finger, hold your breath for 4 counts.

3. Exhale through the right for 6 counts.

4. Repeat in reverse order.

Benefit: harmonizing the left and right hemispheres of the brain, reducing anxiety.

Meditation practice

1. Mindful breathing meditation

Descriptive focus on inhalation and exhalation without evaluation. With distraction - a soft return of attention to breathing.

Duration: 10-15 minutes daily. Start with 5 minutes, gradually increasing the time.

2. Meditation "observer"

The bottom line: track the thoughts and sensations that arise (craving for a bet, fear of losing) like clouds in the sky, without getting involved in them.

Practice: 15-20 minutes in a quiet place, with a timer.

3. Meditation of Loving Kindness (metta)

1. Send a benevolent wish to yourself: "May I be free from suffering."

2. Repeat for a loved one.

3. Extend the circle to everyone you don't know, including those who gamble.

Effect: Forms self-compassion, reduces self-blame and shame over losing.

Integration into everyday life

1. Regularity and schedule. Fix the morning or evening session: 7:00 or 21:00 on weekdays and weekends.

2. Space preparation. Choose a quiet corner, use a rug, candle or odorous oil without irritating aromas.

3. Reminder support. Set notifications on your phone or a paper timer.

4. Combining with diary. After practice, record key emotions, the degree of tension on a scale from 0 to 10.

Tips and possible difficulties

Resistance and laziness. If you don't want to start, limit yourself to 2 minutes of breathing, and then decide whether to continue or not. Often this is enough to move to a full-fledged practice.

Obsessive thoughts. Acknowledge them - "It's just a thought," "It's a chemical signal in the brain" - and return attention to breathing.

Feeling "useless." Measure the subjective anxiety state before and after: you will notice a decrease in the voltage level even in one lesson.

Periods of "failure." If you missed a day - do not punish yourself, just return to practice the next day.

Conclusion

Meditation and breathing practices are proven tools to reduce stress, strengthen self-control and build a stable internal support. With regular execution of techniques, you will interrupt the cycle "craving - bet - regret," reduce the frequency and strength of gambling impulses, and in return get the skill of conscious emotion management, which will remain with you for a long time. Start today: 5 minutes of breathing, 5 minutes of meditation - and take the first step towards freedom from online casinos.