Royal recipe against nervousness: take a deep breath

“I think everyone gets nervous before big events, that’s natural, isn’t it?” said the wife of Prince Charles, Camilla, in a documentary on ITV broadcaster celebrating her 75th birthday on July 17. Queen Elizabeth II’s daughter-in-law also has a recipe for her nervousness: “I take a deep breath and keep going.”

Ruth Asenbaum, head of therapy at the Kurhaus Bad Mühllacken, explains how abdominal breathing works: Sit or stand upright, don’t raise your shoulders. Inhale deeply through your nose, then hold your breath for a moment and exhale slowly through your mouth. Consciously breathe in 10 to 20 times into your abdomen so that it bulges out and retracts again when you exhale. You can put your hands on your stomach to get a better feel.