5 Deep Breathing Exercises For Anxiety

Breathing problems can often be tightly connected to anxiety. Transporting too much or too little oxygen to your lungs and brain can speed up your heart rate which only exacerbates your stress and level of anxiety. This is where deep breathing exercises for anxiety could be beneficial.

Even though it’s essential for life, the importance of breathing properly is often neglected, or often not even considered. Poor breathing can lead to numerous problems, including hyperventilation and anxiety. Deep breathing exercises can lower your blood pressure, help you to relax and reduce your stress levels.

Poor breathing is certainly not the sole reason for anxiety by any means, but it can contribute. incorrect breathing habits in themselves, can be enough to bring on a case of anxiety and so the importance of breathing correctly should not be overlooked.

If you’re suffering from anxiety, breathing exercises are something you should be doing on a daily basis. You need to incorporate them into your daily routine so that they become second nature….

Arrange to do the exercises prior to going to bed, or first thing in the morning – have a time slot in mind where you will always do them and make it a daily habit.
The positive effect of the breathing exercises will get greater as you become more accustomed to the exercises – the more you practice, the greater the positive effect.
You needn’t practice all of the following exercises each day, you could work through one or two each day and alternate.

Equal Breathing or Sama Vritti

This is a beginner level breathing technique where you simply inhale and count to four and exhale and again count to four. You breathe through your nose the whole time. If you want to increase the difficulty of this exercise, you can count to 6. This simple yet effective breathing exercise is perfect for anyone experiencing anxiety whether you’re commuting, at your desk, in public or at home. You can do this anywhere!

If you have trouble falling asleep, this exercise is perfect before bedtime. It balances your heart rate and has a calming effect on your mind which in turn helps you fall asleep much faster.

CO2 Rebreathing

CO2 Rebreathing is an exercise to be done when you’re hyperventilating. So, this will be good to practice first when you are in a calm situation and when a stressful situation arises where you are hyperventilating, you will be confident with this technique already and be able to calm down far more easily.

When you hyperventilate, you breathe too quickly, thereby increasing the rate of loss of carbon dioxide. When you’re hyperventilating your heart rate speeds up and you may even experience chest pain.

CO2 rebreathing exercise is done by cupping your hands over your mouth or simply taking a paper bag and breathing into it. The point is to prevent losing too much carbon dioxide and send it back into your lungs.

4 – 7 – 8 Breathing Exercise

This exercise is known for its calming effect which is why it’s also used to treat insomnia. It is simple, can be practiced anywhere, (but naturally as a calming exercise, before bed is ideal) and it doesn’t require any special preparation or skills.

Sit with your back straight and place your tongue just behind the upper teeth. Make sure your tongue stays there throughout the whole exercise.

First exhale through your mouth with a whoosh sound. Next, inhale slowly through your nose while keeping your lips sealed. Count to 4 while inhaling.

Then hоld уоur breath while you count to 7.

Exhale through your mouth, again with a whoosh, and count to 8.

You can repeat this as much as you feel like, but typically 4 – 5 times is enough.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

This exercise is said to unite the right and left side of the brain. A simple technique. Simply sit somewhere quiet and comfortable. Place one finger over your left nostril and breathe deeply once through your right. Then, place your finger or thumb over you right nostril and exhale through the left. You can continue on in this pattern, as long as is desired.

This is thought of as an energising exercise, as it can make you feel more alert and awake. As such, it’s a good one to practice first thing in the morning rather than bedtime, (unless you need to stay up late!).

Guided Visualisation

A simple and effective technique. Best done in a place you will not be disturbed. Visualise a place that’s positive and relaxing to you or, alternatively imagine positive images or words. This can be whatever you want it to be, whatever comes most naturally to you.

As you imagine you’re in this lovely beautiful place or envisaging these positive images, breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth. If you have trouble breathing through your nose, you can just breathe through your mouth instead.

Many times a therapist can conduct a guided visualisation by talking you through it, but alternatively you can buy recordings where you can be guided by a soothing voice and follow their lead. Alternatively, you could do this without a guide at all and simply take yourself to your special place of choice in your mind and focus on your breathing.

It’s helpful to create a mental distraction or focus, (much like the guided meditation) while you’re practising any of these breathing exercises, because it helps promote deep relaxation. It’s also helpful to practice being able to take yourself out of a stressful situation in your mind and take yourself to a mental place that you feel safe and content – the more you practice this, the easier you will find to escape anxious or stressful feelings when they surface.

Perhaps you could recite your own mantra, or a small group of positive words that are meaningful to you that you could repeat over and over in your mind.

Alternatively, think about something that helps you calm down naturally. For example, you could imagine yourself in a place that feels safe, relaxing or inspiring to you. Maybe all wrapped up in bed, or laying on the beach by the sea, or swimming with dolphins! This is will be individual to everyone, so what works for some may not work for others.

Have you tried any of these or other deep breathing techniques in the past? If so, how did they help you? Let me know in a comment below!