Managing anxiety can feel overwhelming but one of the simplest and most effective tools for calming the mind and body is right under your nose—your breath. Conscious breathing exercises can help regulate the nervous system, reduce stress, and instantly bring you back to the present moment. Whether you’re looking for a quick way to regain control in moments of acute anxiety or panic, or a daily practice to cultivate long-term resilience, incorporating breathing exercises for anxiety into your routine can make a significant difference (1).
In this article, I will share with you some of the most effective breathing exercises for anxiety relief. At the end of this article, I will introduce you to a transformative breathing practice that offers more than just temporary relief. This breath-based modality targets the underlying causes of anxiety, so you can move beyond relying on breathing exercises as Band-Aid solutions.
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Reading the article below will empower you with a toolkit of breathing exercises for anxiety. However, in moments of heightened anxiety, referring back to the article may not always be practical. That’s why I’ve created a free quick reference guide for you to download to your phone, or print off, and keep with you at all times. This guide will empower you to take control of your anxiety and effectively stop it in its tracks.
8 Breathing Exercises for Reducing Anxiety
Breathing Exercise for Anxiety #1: Box Breathing
First on our list is Box Breathing. This is a simple, yet effective technique to help calm your mind and reduce stress. It involves inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding your breath in equal counts.
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Find a comfortable position: Sit or lie down in a relaxed position.
- Close your eyes: This can help you focus on your breath.
- Inhale: Breathe in slowly through your nose, counting to four.
- Hold: Hold your breath for four counts.
- Exhale: Slowly exhale through your mouth, counting to four.
- Hold: Hold your breath again for four counts.
- Repeat: Continue this cycle for several minutes, or as needed.
Tips:
- Visualize a box: Imagine each step as a side of a square. Inhale up one side, hold at the top, exhale down the other side, and hold at the bottom.
- Focus on your breath: Try to avoid thinking about anything else during the exercise.
- Adjust the count: If four counts are too challenging, start with a lower number and gradually increase it.
Benefits of box breathing:
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Improves focus and concentration
- Lowers blood pressure
- Helps you sleep better
Breathing Exercise for Anxiety #2: Coherence Breathing
Coherence breathing is a technique that involves deep, rhythmic breaths in and out. It helps regulate your nervous system, reducing stress and promoting relaxation.
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Find a comfortable position: Sit or lie down in a relaxed posture.
- Close your eyes: This can help you focus on your breath.
- Inhale: Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose, counting to five.
- Exhale: Breathe out slowly through your nose or mouth, also counting to five.
- Maintain a steady pace: Try to keep your inhalations and exhalations equal in length and rhythm.
- Repeat: Continue this pattern for several minutes, or as needed.
Tips:
- Focus on your breath: Try to avoid thinking about anything else during the exercise.
- Visualize: Imagine your breath flowing in and out of your heart with a calming rhythm.
- Experiment: You can adjust the count to suit your preference, but the goal is to maintain a steady pace.
Benefits of coherence breathing:
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Improves sleep quality
- Boosts mood and well-being
- Enhances focus and concentration
- Promotes a sense of calm and balance
Breathing Exercise for Anxiety #3: 4-7-8 Breathing
4-7-8 breathing is a technique designed to promote relaxation and reduce stress. It involves inhaling, holding, and exhaling in specific ratios.
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Find a comfortable position: Sit or lie down in a relaxed posture.
- Close your eyes: This can help you focus on your breath.
- Inhale: Breathe in slowly through your nose, counting to four.
- Hold: Hold your breath for seven counts.
- Exhale: Exhale slowly through your mouth, counting to eight.
- Repeat: Continue this cycle for several minutes, or as needed.
Tips:
- Focus on the rhythm: Try to maintain a steady pace throughout the exercise.
- Visualize: Imagine your breath flowing in and out of your body in a calming rhythm.
- Practice regularly: The more you practice, the easier it will become to relax using this technique.
Benefits of 4-7-8 breathing:
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Improves sleep quality
- Promotes relaxation and wellbeing
- Calms the mind
- Helps manage anger and frustration
Breathing Exercise for Anxiety #4: Diaphragmatic Breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing, also known as belly breathing, is a technique that focuses on using your diaphragm, the main muscle involved in breathing. It can help reduce stress, improve posture, and increase lung capacity.
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Find a comfortable position: Sit upright or lie down.
- Place a hand on your chest and another on your stomach.
- Inhale: Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose. Your stomach should rise, while your chest should remain relatively still.
- Hold: Hold your breath for a few seconds.
- Exhale: Breathe out slowly and deeply through your mouth. Your stomach should deflate.
- Repeat: Continue this cycle for several minutes.
Tips:
- Focus on your stomach: The goal is to feel your stomach expanding and contracting more than your chest.
- Practice regularly: The more you practice, the easier it will become to engage your diaphragm.
- Try different positions: Experiment with sitting, lying down, or standing to find the position that works best for you.
Benefits of Diaphragmatic Breathing:
- Practicing diaphragmatic breathing regularly will retrain your body to breathe deeply into the belly rather than shallowly into the upper chest. This shift in breathing pattern comes with numerous benefits, including increased oxygenation of the body, reduced tension in the neck and shoulders, enhanced relaxation response, and improved overall lung capacity.
- Belly breathing also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps lower stress and anxiety levels, supports emotional regulation, and promotes a sense of calm and well-being.
- Over time, this deeper, more mindful way of breathing can help you feel more centered, balanced, and resilient in the face of life’s challenges.
Breathing Exercise for Anxiety #5: Focused Breathing
Focused breathing is a simple, yet powerful way to bring calm and balance into your life. When practiced with intention and focus, it can help reduce anxiety, enhance emotional regulation, and improve overall well-being. This guide will walk you through a simple yet effective breath focus technique that you can incorporate into your daily routine.
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Find a Quiet Space: Choose a quiet, comfortable location where you can sit or lie down without distractions. Make sure your body feels supported, whether on a chair, cushion, or bed.
- Begin with Awareness: Close your eyes and start by noticing your natural breathing pattern. Observe how it feels to inhale and exhale without changing anything. Do a mental scan of your body to notice any areas of tension or discomfort you may not have noticed before.
- Take a Deep, Slow Breath: Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose. As you breathe in, allow your belly to expand, followed by your chest. Feel the air filling your lungs and notice how your body responds to this deep breath.
- Exhale Slowly and Comfortably: Exhale in whatever way feels most natural and comfortable for you. You might sigh softly, let the air out through your nose, or release it through your mouth. Allow the exhale to carry away tension or discomfort you may feel.
- Continue with Focused Breathing: Repeat this deep, slow breathing cycle for several minutes. Focus on the rise and fall of your belly with each breath. Notice how your body expands with the inhale and relaxes with the exhale.
Tips:
- Choose a Focus Word: Select a calming word or phrase, such as “safe,” “calm,” “peace,” or “let go.” As you exhale, gently vocalize this word in your mind. Let it resonate throughout your body, reinforcing a sense of peace and grounding.
- Visualize Your Breath: As you inhale, imagine a gentle wave washing over you, bringing in positive energy, calmness, and clarity. On the exhale, visualize the wave carrying away any negative or upsetting thoughts, emotions, or energy. Allow this visualization to deepen your relaxation and release.
- Bring Your Attention Back When Distracted: It’s natural for the mind to wander. If you get distracted, gently acknowledge the distraction and bring your attention back to your breath and your chosen word or phrase. This practice of refocusing is a key element of mindfulness.
- Practice Regularly: Aim to practice this conscious breathing technique for up to 20 minutes daily, or as often as your schedule allows. Consistency is key to experiencing the full benefits of this calming practice.
Benefits of Focused Breathing:
- By incorporating this breath focus technique into your daily routine, you can create a space for stillness, self-awareness, and emotional regulation.
- The breath is always with you and simply focusing on it, can serve as a powerful tool for navigating life’s challenges and fostering inner peace.
Breathing Exercise for Anxiety #6: Pursed Lips Breathing
Pursed lips breathing is a technique that involves exhaling slowly through pursed lips, which can help regulate breathing and reduce anxiety.
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Inhale: Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose.
- Pucker your lips: Purse your lips as if you’re whistling.
- Exhale: Breathe out slowly through your pursed lips, making a hissing sound.
- Repeat: Continue this cycle for several minutes.
Tips:
- Focus on the exhalation: The key to this technique is to exhale slowly and steadily through pursed lips.
- Practice regularly: The more you practice, the easier it will become to regulate your breathing.
- Combine with other techniques: You can combine pursed lips breathing with other relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation.
Benefits of pursed lips breathing:
- Helps regulate breathing
- Reduces anxiety and stress
- Improves lung function
- Can be used to manage shortness of breath
Breathing Exercise for Anxiety #7: Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana)
Alternate nostril breathing is a technique from yoga that helps balance the left and right sides of the brain. It can reduce stress, improve concentration, and promote relaxation.
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Find a comfortable position: Sit upright with your spine straight.
- Bring your right hand to your face. Place your index and middle fingers between your eyebrows, resting your thumb on your right nostril and your ring and pinky fingers on your left nostril.
- Close your right nostril: Use your thumb to close your right nostril.
- Inhale: Inhale slowly and deeply through your left nostril.
- Close your left nostril: Use your ring and pinky fingers to close your left nostril.
- Exhale: Exhale slowly through your right nostril.
- Inhale: Inhale slowly through your right nostril.
- Exhale: Exhale slowly through your left nostril.
- Repeat: Continue this cycle for several minutes.
Tips:
- Focus on your breath: Try to maintain a steady and rhythmic pace.
- Practice regularly: The more you practice, the easier it will become to perform this technique.
- Adjust as needed: If you find it difficult to hold your breath, you can inhale and exhale through the same nostril before switching.
Benefits of alternate nostril breathing:
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Improves concentration and focus
- Promotes relaxation and balance
- Can help regulate blood pressure
Breathing Exercise for Anxiety #8: Nasal Breathing
At first glance, it might seem silly to include nasal breathing, as humans are naturally designed to breathe through our noses. However, people unknowingly breathe through their mouths, both during the day and while sleeping. Research has shown that mouth breathing can have systemic harmful effects on health, one of which is increased anxiety (2,3).
Mouth breathing can contribute to anxiety in several ways:
Allergies and sinus issues: Mouth breathing can be a symptom of allergies or sinus problems, which can also contribute to anxiety.
Reduced oxygen intake: Breathing through the mouth can lead to less oxygen intake compared to nasal breathing. This can cause feelings of shortness of breath, hyperventilation, and increased heart rate, which can trigger anxiety.
Increased CO2 levels: Mouth breathing can lead to higher levels of carbon dioxide in the blood, which can also contribute to feelings of anxiety and panic.
Sleep disturbances: Mouth breathing can disrupt sleep by causing dry mouth, snoring, and sleep apnea. Sleep deprivation can exacerbate anxiety and mood disorders.
Stress response: The body may perceive mouth breathing as a sign of stress or danger, triggering the stress response and leading to feelings of anxiety.
Here’s a step-by-step guide for retraining yourself to breathe through your nose:
- Awareness: Start by becoming aware of your breathing habits. Do you tend to breathe through your mouth? Pay attention to when and why you do this.
- Conscious Effort: Make a conscious effort to breathe through your nose. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but with practice, it will become more natural.
- Practice Throughout the Day: Incorporate nasal breathing into your daily routine. Try it while sitting, walking, or even during activities like yoga or meditation.
- Address Obstructions: If you have nasal congestion or allergies, consult a healthcare professional to address the underlying issue.
- Consider Nasal Strips: For temporary relief from congestion, nasal strips can help open your nasal passages.
Tips:
Relax Your Jaw: Ensure your jaw is relaxed and your mouth is slightly closed.Focus on Your Breath: Pay attention to the sensation of air flowing through your nostrils.Avoid Mouth Breathing During Sleep: If you’re a mouth breather while sleeping, try mouth tape and/or sleeping on your side.
*Get Your Free Rapid Relief for Anxiety Quick Guide Here
Beyond Breathing Exercises for Anxiety: Target the Root Cause with Conscious Connected Breathing (CCB)
Conscious connected breathing (CCB) is a breathing practice that is rapidly gaining popularity for its ability to support deep healing, emotional release, and rapid transformation. You may have come across this practice under the names “breathwork,” “holotropic breathwork,” or “rebirthing”. While these terms may refer to slight variations in technique, they all share the common thread of being CCB practices that use connected breathing to facilitate self-healing and personal growth.
An Analogy to Understand the Difference Between Common Breathing Exercises for Anxiety and CCB
To better understand the difference between common breathing exercises for anxiety and Conscious Connected Breathing (CCB), it’s important to recognize that most breathing exercises help manage anxiety by activating the parasympathetic “rest and digest” branch of the nervous system. This is beneficial because anxiety typically arises from heightened activation of the sympathetic “fight or flight” branch. Breathing exercises can effectively slow down this response and alleviate anxiety temporarily.
However, these exercises don’t address the root causes of anxiety. In contrast, CCB deliberately activates the sympathetic nervous system in a controlled and empowering manner. This state is similar to what you experience during moments of intense stress or emotional distress. By consciously engaging this state and simultaneously working with non-ordinary states of consciousness—proven to be highly effective for processing trauma and fostering well-being—CCB helps facilitate the release of stuck emotions, buried memories, and traumas that fuel anxiety.
Think of this analogy: most breathing exercises are like placing a carpet over a gaping hole filled with debris—they can provide temporary relief and conceal the issue, but they usually don’t resolve the underlying problem. In contrast, CCB is like thoroughly clearing out the debris (self-healing) and filling the hole with solid, new ground, creating a stable foundation for lasting well-being. By addressing the root causes of anxiety, CCB helps restore balance to the nervous system and build resilience, reducing the need to rely on frequent breathing exercises for self-regulation.
“…Fast-paced breathing techniques can induce short-term stress that may improve mental health, and have also been shown to volitionally influence the ANS, promoting sympathetic activity.” – Nature Journal (4)
“Stress-related symptoms significantly decreased while satisfaction with life significantly increased at 4-weeks (after a single Holotropic breathwork session)…”- Journal of Psychedelic Studies (5)
Step-by-step guide:
I can’t provide a step-by-step guide for Conscious Connected Breathing (CCB) because it’s not a practice you can effectively do on your own. CCB is typically performed lying down with your eyes closed, and it is highly recommended to do it with the support of a well-trained, trauma-informed Breathwork Facilitator. The facilitator helps create a safe environment, encourages you to persist through the initial resistance (which is often strong in the first 10 minutes), and supports you throughout the process. They will also provide a carefully curated playlist to enhance your experience and may offer supportive touch.
As you engage in CCB, several physiological changes and brainwave alterations occur. After about 10 minutes, you enter a non-ordinary state of consciousness, where you gain access to your subconscious mind—home to 95% of your thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. In this state, you can connect with your inner wisdom, uncover deep insights, release buried trauma and suppressed emotions, and make significant upgrades to your subconscious programming.
Many people liken the CCB experience to plant medicine or ketamine-assisted therapy, noting that CCB is more empowering and transformative. And unlike psychedelic substances, CCB does not entail legal ramifications, an exorbitant price, harsh side effects, or the risk of getting ‘stuck’ in an altered state. One key benefit of CCB for those with anxiety is that it allows you to remain in control of your experience at all times. If at any point you feel overwhelmed by a sensation or emotion, you can simply slow down your breathing or return to a normal breath to regain composure.
Tips:
- While CCB is one of the most profound and rapid self-healing modalities available, lasting change often requires repetition. I typically recommend starting with six sessions, either weekly or biweekly, and then reassessing from there based on your progress.
- There are some shot-gun breathwork facilitator trainings out there which do not properly prepare facilitators to safely hold space. Look for a breathwork facilitator that is trauma-informed and who trained with a breathwork training school that is either GPBA or IBF certified.
- This practice can be done one-on-one with a facilitator or in group settings, with both approaches offering similar beneficial effects. However, one may be more supportive for you than the other. Here’s an article to help you decide which option might be best for you: Is Private of Group Breathwork Better?
Want to Dissolve Anxiety & Embark on a Journey to Wellness with CCB?
If you’re ready to achieve lasting relief from your anxiety, we’re here to support you. Unity Breathwork offers several trauma-informed breathwork facilitators who can assist you either online or in person, depending on your location. Reach out to us here to inquire about scheduling a breathwork session with us.
*Get Your Free Rapid Relief for Anxiety Quick Guide Here
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Citations:
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-27247-y
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10858538/
- https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/3478
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-27247-y
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363187132