There are so many of us living in a constant state of anxiety, stress and plain old worry. It sucks so much, or maybe all, of the happiness out of our lives.
But things can be different.
And it can all start with a deep breathing exercise of one sort or another.
Having developed intensive generalised anxiety from long-term stress, for months it was a deep breathing technique that helped me get out of bed in the mornings and get me through my days. Allowing me to be where I am today. I hope that by implementing a breathing technique into your day, it can do the same for you.
Symptoms of Anxiety
The symptoms of anxiety or a panic attack (see the differences between an anxiety attack and a panic attack) differ from one person to the next. Some common symptoms include:
- Feeling tense, nervous, or fearful
- Having trouble sleeping (Insomnia)
- Restlessness or irritability
- Constant worrying about the past or future
- Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
- Having the urge to avoid things that trigger feelings of anxiety
- Depression
- Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
- Having an increased heart rate
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Feeling weak or tired
- Experiencing gastrointestinal problems
- Muscle aches and pains
- Loss of libido
Anxiety is the body’s normal response to stress. It is a part of the “fight-or-flight” response that happens when we face a real or perceived physical or emotional threat.
Now, we don’t want to completely rid ourselves of anxiety because it helps us be aware of danger – but it’s only helpful if it is rational.
For far too many people, feelings of anxiety and worry are so constant and overwhelming that it negatively impacts their everyday life – their relationships, jobs. . . their ability to feel even the simple joys of life.
They constantly experience feelings of foreboding, unease, distress, or dread.
Feelings that, with frequency, stop them from being able to see solutions.
And it just becomes a vicious circle.
This is where deep breathing exercises are known to be the best real-time, immediate solution away from a life of anxious misery.
Benefits of Deep Breathing
Let’s look a little more into how practicing deep breathing can have such a transformational impact on our lives.
This technique actually works through both neurobiological and psychological systems.
Slow, deep breathing increases the activity of the vagus nerve, which is a part of our parasympathetic nervous system. The vagus nerve is actually like a police officer of the activity of many internal organs, creating this ripple effect of calmness throughout the body.
This is because vagus nerve stimulation causes the heart rate to slow down, blood pressure to decrease and muscles to relax. The vagus nerve also informs the brain (most importantly the hippocampus) of these changes and it too, relaxes.
Every relaxation, calming or meditation technique relies on breathing, which may be the lowest common denominator in all the approaches to calming the body and mind.
All of this can explain why deep breathing exercises help with:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Managing stress
- Improving focus
- Better sleep
- Relief of gastrointestinal problems
A deep breathing technique will definitely help give you some kind of immediate relief from feelings of anxiety, stress and overwhelm. Ongoing practice will also very likely help you be less reactive as time goes on. And if we are able to manage our anxiety, all other symptoms start improving.
However, it is important to note that if you’re frequently feeling anxious, stressed or overwhelmed, there is an underlying cause that is likely to require some deeper emotional work and most likely some professional support too.
Let’s start by looking at the best way to breathe, as not just any old breathing will do.
Belly/Diaphragmic Breathing
Most people aren’t generally aware of the way they’re breathing, but it is important to recognise the typical two breathing patterns:
Chest/Thoracic breathing: This type of breathing comes from the chest and involves short, rapid breaths (a typical symptom of anxiety). It upsets the body’s oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, resulting in increased heart rate, dizziness, muscle tension, and other physical sensations. Your blood is not being properly oxygenated and this may signal a stress response that contributes to anxiety and panic attacks. Breathing like this for any extended period makes feelings of anxiety worse.
Belly/Diaphragmatic breathing: This type of breathing is a deep, even breathing that engages your diaphragm. It allows your lungs to expand and creates a pressure that drives air in through the nose and mouth, filling your lungs. Belly/diaphragmatic (deep breathing), stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is part of the peripheral nervous system responsible for regulating heartbeat, blood flow, breathing, and digestion. Deep breathing helps you avoid the “fight-or-flight” response (acute stress response) to mentally or physically terrifying situations. This is the way newborn babies naturally breathe. You’re also most likely breathing like this when you’re in your deep sleep stage.
It’s clear that belly/diaphragm breathing is best when anxious feelings, worry and overwhelm start getting the better of you.
How to Practise Belly/Diaphragmatic Breathing
It’s best to practise this breathing pattern while you are in a relaxed and safe environment. This way, you will more easily develop the healthy habit and be more likely to use this technique when faced with situations that trigger feelings of anxiety.
The easiest way to determine your breathing pattern is to put one hand on your upper abdomen, near the waist, and the other in the middle of your chest. As you breathe, notice which hand raises the most.
If you’re breathing properly, the hand on your belly should rise the most. It’s especially important to be aware of these differences during stressful and anxious times when you’re more likely to breathe from your chest.
Try this exercise:
Lie down on the floor or bed with pillows beneath your head and knees. You can also sit in a comfortable chair with your head, neck, and shoulders relaxed, and your knees bent.
Put one hand under your rib cage and one hand over your heart.
Breathe in and exhale through your nose, noticing how or if your stomach and chest move as you breathe.
Now try isolation. Breathe in through your belly so you bring air deeper into your lungs. Now try the reverse: breathe in so that your chest moves more than your belly. Now breathe in through your belly again to be sure you’re aware of what you need to do for belly/diaphragm breathing. Eventually, you want your stomach to move as you breathe, instead of your chest.
How to approach developing a deep breathing practice
We are all unique. Not only do some techniques work better for some people than others, but oftentimes one breathing technique will also work better in one situation than another. So, once you’ve got the hang of breathing from your belly instead of your chest, I advise, as I would for any holistic practice, an approach of trial and error.
Like any new habit, it will take practice and consistency. You can begin by replacing your daily mindfulness practice if you have one.
How to find the breathing techniques that work best for you
Firstly, get yourself a breathing journal, and then choose one technique to practise daily every time you feel anxious, stressed or overwhelmed.
Every day, reflect on your experiences in each situation and note the following:
- State the situation.
- What was the emotion(s) you were feeling at the time?
- What were your thoughts at the time?
- How long did you have to do the breathing technique before feeling better?
- How would you describe ‘feeling better’ in that particular situation?
After a number of weeks, you will likely notice your go-to breathing techniques for different situations.
Before you choose the breathing technique you will focus on in one week, consider what else is going on in your life at that time. Breathing techniques take different periods of time, and some can’t be done in public. So if you have a particularly time-consuming event going on in one week, I would suggest you allocate a shorter exercise for that week.
10 Breathing techniques
The ten breathing exercises I share here have all been researched to be effective. But like anything where we’re looking to change our emotional state, we all respond differently to different things.
Before you start, remember that trial and error is important. You’ll learn through experimenting and reflecting (ideally through journaling) to find what works best for you in different situations.
1. 4-7-8 Breathing
This breathing technique is considered to be one of the best breathing techniques to help one fall asleep. This is because it seems to act as a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system.
If you’re a beginner to breathing techniques, start by sitting with your back straight and only completing four cycles in a row. It can be done numerous times a day but try at least twice a day to recognise the positive benefits. But ideally do 4-7-8 breathing anytime you feel stressed, before you respond to an upsetting situation or whenever you’re having trouble getting to sleep and it will become more powerful the longer you use it. You may feel lightheaded at first, but this will pass. And once you get used to it, you can move to eight cycles and do it lying down.
- Find a comfortable place to sit with your back straight.
- Empty your lungs by breathing out fully.
- Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue behind your upper front teeth and keep it there for the entire exercise.
- Close your mouth and breathe in slowly through your nose to the count of four.
- Hold your breath for a count of seven.
- Exhale completely through your mouth, making another “whoosh” sound to the count of eight.
See the YouTube video here.
Make sure you don’t need to be fully alert immediately after practicing your breathing cycles.
2. Alternate-nostril Breathing (ANB)/ Nadi Shodhana
Alternate-nostril breathing involves blocking off one nostril at a time as you breathe through the other, alternating between nostrils in a regular pattern. This breathing technique is often also used as part of a yoga or meditation practice as it tends to be very effective at helping calm the mind.
Alternate nostril breathing has been shown to enhance cardiovascular function and to lower heart rate which is why it is known to be a good relaxation technique.
Keep your breath smooth and even throughout the practice, not forgetting to breathe using your diaphragm and not your chest.
ANB is best practiced on an empty stomach. Avoid the practice if you’re feeling sick or congested. However, if this is your go-to breathing technique, it is likely to still be better feeling the nausea from doing it on a full stomach, than sitting with the anxiety or overwhelm.
Keep your breath smooth and even throughout the practice.
- Sit in a comfortable position with the back straight and the hips relaxed.
- Relax your jaw and close your eyes.
- Rest your left hand in your lap.
- Position your right hand by bending your pointer and middle fingers into your palm, leaving your thumb, ring finger, and pinky extended.
- Use the ring finger to open and close the left nostril. Use the thumb for the right nostril.
- Close the right nostril with your thumb and breathe in through the left nostril, holding the breath in for a moment.
- Release your thumb from your right nostril, close your left nostril with the ring finger.
- Breathe out through the right nostril with your mouth closed, waiting a moment before you breathe in again.
- Breathe in again through the right nostril, holding the breath in for a moment.
- Close the right nostril with the thumb and release the ring finger from the left nostril.
- Breathe out through the left nostril, with your mouth closed, waiting a moment before you breathe in again.
- Breathe in through the left nostril, holding the breath in for a moment.
- Close the left nostril with the index finger and release the thumb from the right nostril.
- Breathe out through the right nostril with your mouth closed, waiting a moment before you breathe in again.
Repeat this cycle of inhaling and exhaling through either nostril up to 10 times. Each cycle should take up to 40 seconds. If you begin to feel lightheaded, take a break by releasing both nostrils and breathing normally.
See the YouTube video here.
3. Box / Square Breathing
Box breathing is also known as square breathing, For breathwork beginners, due to its simplicity, this is a great starter technique to minimise feelings of anxiety, panic attacks and just plain old worrying. This is the technique I encourage my clients to use if they don’t already have an effective breathing technique to can fall back on. It is super simple to remember.
Box breathing works by distracting your mind as you count to four, calming your nervous system, and decreasing stress in your body.
It is also considered a helpful technique if you suffer from COPD.
Once you become comfy with this exercise, you can do it at absolutely any time without anyone being aware.
Try to be in a stress-free, quiet environment where you can focus on your breathing.
- Keeping your hands relaxed in your lap with your palms facing up, focus on your posture. You should be sitting up straight. This will help you take deep breaths.
- Sit upright in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Breathe in slowly to the count of four.
- Hold the air in your lungs for a count of four.
- Exhale slowly to the count of four.
- Hold your lungs empty for a count of four.
Repeat the pattern between 4-10 times or until you start feeling calmer.
Holding of breath can cause some to feel anxious. If this is the case, start by using the count of two instead and slowly work up to a count of four.
4. Humming Bee / Bhramari Breathing
The Humming Bee breathing technique helps to create an instant calm and is especially soothing around your forehead. This technique is known to be effective to relieve stress, agitation, and anger. It can also help to calm the body and mind before sleep.
The main limitation of this breathing technique is that you’ll need to find somewhere where you can hum freely.
- Choose a comfortable seated position.
- Close your eye, relax your face and keep your lips gently closed while allowing your teeth to remain separated.
- Place your pointer fingers on the tragus cartilage that partially covers your ear canal.
- Breathe in through your nose.
- Press your fingers into the cartilage and breathe out for as long as possible, making a loud humming sound.
Continue for at least 5 cycles of breath or longer if you like.
After completing this breathing technique, take a few moments to sit quietly and allow yourself to breathe naturally.
Caution: The Humming Bee breathing technique is not advised for pregnant or menstruating women as well as for individuals with extremely high blood pressure, epilepsy, chest pain, or an active ear infection. It should also not be practised lying down.
See the YouTube video here.
5. Lion’s Breath / Simhasana
Lion’s breath, also referred to as Simhasana. A breathing technique during which you stick out your tongue and exhale forcefully while roaring like a lion. It is known to help relax the muscles in your face and jaw, alleviate stress, and improve cardiovascular function.
The exercise is best performed in a comfortable, seated position, leaning forward slightly with your hands on your knees or the floor.
- Come into a comfortable seated position. You can sit back on your heels or cross your legs.
- Press your palms against your knees with your fingers spread wide.
- Breathe out deeply through your nose and open your eyes wide.
- At the same time, open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue, bringing the tip down toward your chin.
- Contract the muscles at the front of your throat as you exhale out through your mouth by making a long “ha” sound.
- You can turn your gaze to look at the space between your eyebrows or the tip of your nose.
Do the cycle 2 – 7 times.
This breathing technique is not recommended for those who are brand new to breathwork or have pre-existing respiratory problems, as the forceful exhalations can risk trauma to the airways. If you have knee injuries that will make sitting in lion’s pose uncomfortable, sit in a chair or another comfortable position instead.
See the YouTube video here.
6. Physiological Sigh
The physiological sigh is a pattern of breathing that we all engage in deep sleep. When levels of carbon dioxide in our bloodstream get too high, we will do a double-inhale, followed by an extended exhale. You will most likely have seen dogs do this. You will also recognise this from observing children who are sobbing, seem to lose their breath and then do a double-inhale and then an exhale. That is the spontaneous action of what is called the physiological sigh.
The reason it works so well to relax us is that it offloads a lot of carbon dioxide all at once. Watch this video to get a better understanding of why it tends to be so effective as well as see it demonstrated.
- Breathe in through your nose.
- As you get to the end of your in-breath, sneak a little sharp breath at the very end.
- Breathe out through your mouth for slightly longer than you breathed in.
You could feel relief after only doing this once but you’re unlikely to need to do it more than four times.
7. Pursed-Lip Breathing
This simple breathing technique makes you slow down your pace of breathing by having you apply deliberate effort in each breath. This is why this technique has been found to benefit those who have anxiety associated with lung conditions like emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It may be especially useful during activities such as bending, lifting, or stair climbing.
- Sit in a comfortable position with your neck and shoulders relaxed.
- Keeping your mouth closed, breathe in slowly through your nose for two seconds.
- Breathe out through your mouth for four to six seconds, puckering your lips as if giving a kiss.
- Keep your breath slow and steady while breathing out.
The amount of time you spend breathing in and out can be modified with the only stipulation being that the out-breaths are at least twice as long as your in-breaths.
Practice using this breathing exercise 4 to 5 times a day when you begin in order to get the hang of the breathing pattern.
Pursed lip breathing is a low-risk practice. However, a person with a respiratory condition, such as COPD, should consider seeking advice from a healthcare professional before trying it.
See the YouTube video here.
8. Resonant breathing/Coherent Breathing
Resonance breathing, also called coherent breathing, is when you breathe at a rate of 3-7 full breath cycles per minute.
Not only does it help reduce feelings of anxiety but it is shown to have numerous other health benefits. One of these includes reducing symptoms of depression when combined with Iyengar yoga as evidenced in the following study.
If you are a beginner at doing breath work, start by breathing in for four seconds and then out for four seconds. Do this for one minute. Repeat but extend your inhales and exhales to five seconds until it feels comfortable. Repeat again, extending to six seconds. You can continue in this way for as many counts as feels comfortable.
You may feel the urge to take a deep breath or that your mind keeps on wandering. That’s okay. Just gently bring yourself back to focusing on your breathing.
- Lie down and close your eyes.
- Gently breathe in through your nose, mouth closed, for 4-6 seconds.
- Don’t fill your lungs too full of air.
- Breathe out for 4-6 seconds, allowing your breath to leave your body slowly and gently. Don’t force it.
Continue for up to 10 minutes.
Take a few minutes after to be still and reflect on how your body feels.
Resonant/Coherent Breathing is a low-risk practice.
See the YouTube video here.
9. Teddy Bear Breathing
This technique is a particularly good starter breathing technique for kids. But there is obviously no reason adults can’t join in the fun. 😊 If you don’t have a teddy bear, just use an alternative object. Maybe a toilet roll or even your mobile phone (which should be on flight mode).
- Lie on your back, place a hand on your chest, and place a teddy bear (or similar object) on your belly button.
- Close your eyes and relax your entire body.
- Breathe in slowly through the nose so that the teddy bear rises, but your chest does not.
- When you have taken a full, deep breath, hold it, count to three, and then slowly breathe out.
Repeat until you feel relaxed.
See the YouTube video here.
10. Walking Breathing
Breathing and walking: these two movements are so natural that we do them unconsciously. But if you practice belly breathing while walking, not only will it improve your stamina and make walking more comfortable, but it will also help you feel more relaxed. There is a reason why ‘walking it off’ is so often suggested when a situation seems to be getting the better of us.
Breathing properly will make walking more comfortable and improve your stamina, but also help you to feel more relaxed in daily life.
- Breathe in for three steps or arm movements
- Breathe out for three steps or arm movements
- Relax for three steps or arm movements
Ideally, commit to at least 15 minutes. But like all other well-being practices, better something than nothing.
The takeaway
To reiterate – where we’re looking to change our emotional state, we all respond differently to different things. Trial and error is important here as one breathing exercise may work better with one type of situation while another works better with another.
To instil a good deep breathing practice, it could be helpful to incorporate other practices that utilise deep breathing, like yoga or mindfulness/meditation which are extremely beneficial to wellbeing maintenance in their own right.
Once again, it is important to note, that if you are frequently feeling anxious, stressed or overwhelmed, there is an underlying cause that is likely to require some deeper emotional work and most likely some professional support to help navigate you through that emotional journey.
If your anxiety persists or gets worse after practicing deep breathing, consider seeing a healthcare provider, therapist or coach to help you regain your quality of life and control over your anxiety.
If you feel that anxiety, stress and plain old worry are getting the better of you and you think I can help, get in touch with me HERE.