3 Simple Breathing Exercises to Reduce Anxiety and Stress

Anxiety is the bodies normal response to stress. It is a part of the “fight-or-flight” response that happens when someone faces a real or perceived physical or emotional threat. However, long-term stress and anxiety can be detrimental for both your physical and mental health. It is therefore very important that we find ways to relax the nervous system and calm the mind.

Deep breathing (also sometimes called diaphragmatic breathing) is incredible for your body and can really help to reduce stress and anxiety by allowing more air to flow in to your lungs. By breathing slower and more deeply from your stomach, you will signal your nervous system to calm down. It is also great for improving your attention span and focus, ensuring better, more soundful sleep and lowering pain levels. One amazing deep breathing benefit is a healthier heart rate, which directly contributes to lower blood pressure.

See my YouTube video below where I will talk you through the benefits of deep breathing and I will share my 3 favourite techniques with you -

Having suffered with anxiety and panic attacks since I was a young child, I have spent years trying to find ways to manage it. When I learnt how to do deep breathing exercises like these at college, I was thrilled as I saw a real improvement in my symptoms. I am now so passionate to pass on my knowledge to help others who may be finding that anxiety and stress is holding them back in life. I know how debilitating the physical and mental feelings of anxiety are. I know how it can make you doubt yourself on a daily basis, over-analyse everything and cancel plans at the last minute, even though all you want to do is go.

Below, I will cover three of my favourite deep breathing exercises which I hope you will find really useful -

First I would like to talk about square/box breathing. This breathing exercise is used by the military when they are going to perform special operations missions to help them to relax and de-stress before going out into battle. Start by paying attention to your breathing and then gently exhale all of the air out of your lungs, then Inhale through your nose for a count of four, then hold the air in your lungs for a count of four, then breath out through the mouth for a count of four and hold there for a count of four before beginning the sequence again. Do this around four or five times to feel the full benefits of the exercise. It helps to actually visualise drawing out a square with your finger in the air or maybe on the table or imagine you are drawing out the square in your mind. This helps to further focus on the exercise, being fully present whilst doing it and not getting distracted by anything else.

My second exercise is pursed lips breathing. This method will make your lungs work harder because the opening of the mouth is smaller on the exhale. It is an excellent way to relax and can also help people with respiratory conditions improve their lung function as it will support the lungs to become stronger. For this one, breath In through the nose for a count of four and then exhale using pursed lips for a count of 8. Again do this around four or five times for good results.

The last exercise I want to cover is equal breathing. For this one you will be inhaling and exhaling for the same number of counts. Do this for as many counts as feels comfortable to you. You can practice equal breathing wherever you are sitting or lying down with your eyes closed for best results. Start by first paying attention to your normal breathing. For this exercise you will be breathing in through the nose and exhaling out through the nose also.

If at any time the deep breathing exercises makes you feel dizzy, don't worry just stop immediately. it can take time for our bodies to get used to this style of breathing and the more you do it the easier it will become and the more benefits you will get from doing it. Dizzy feelings can occur when you first do this as it may not be something you have tried before. Just keep practicing and the more you do it, the easier it will become.

I really hope these techniques help you :-)