Highlights

• Deep breathing techniques promote relaxation by improving oxygen intake and calming the nervous system.
• The 4-7-8 breathing method quickly triggers your body’s relaxation response to reduce anxiety.
• Alternate nostril breathing helps balance your energy flow and reduces stress.
• Mindful breathing brings you back to the present moment, easing anxiety and promoting calm.
• Lion’s breath releases physical tension and boosts confidence through powerful exhalations.

Breathing is one of the most critical activities for sustaining life, yet it gets neglected in the chaos of everyday life. We are too busy with everything around us to remember that staying focused on how we breathe can have a huge impact on our feelings. Specific breathing techniques can help one feel more relaxed and alleviate anxiety, especially in stressful situations. Here, we’ll be discussing 10 breathing tips meant to guide you toward relaxation and a renewed sense of control.

10 Breathing Tips To Help You Feel Calm

1. Focus On Deep Breathing

Deep breathing is one of the most useful breathing exercises for anxiety. Rather than breathing shallowly, attempt to breathe deeply into your belly, widening your diaphragm as you breathe in. Deep breathing will cause more oxygen to flow into your lungs, creating a sense of relaxation.

To try this, sit comfortably and inhale for a count of four through your nose, hold your breath for seven seconds, and slowly exhale for eight seconds. This relaxing breathing habit reduces your heart rate, which stimulates the body’s own relaxation response.

2. The 4-7-8 Breathing Technique

Dr. Andrew Weil created this breathing tip to calm and assist in sleeping. The process is inhaling for four seconds, holding for seven seconds, and exhaling slowly for eight seconds. This technique can calm the nervous system instantly and enhance concentration.

Repeating this breathing exercise for anxiety a few times a day can be an excellent stress management technique. You can also repeat it when you feel anxious or before sleep to relax.

3. Pursed Lip Breathing

Pursed lip breathing is an effortless and powerful strategy for managing your breath, particularly when you are short of breath or experiencing anxiety. To accomplish this, breathe in through your nose and slowly blow out through pursed lips, blowing as if through a straw. This strengthens the pressure in your airways, facilitating easier exhaling and expulsion of trapped air within your lungs.

This calm breathing technique is especially useful for anxiety reduction and oxygenation, so you can feel more centered and calm.

4. Alternate Nostril Breathing

Alternate nostril breathing is one of the favorite yoga practices to balance the body and soothe the mind. This breathing exercise for anxiety involves closing one nostril and breathing in and out of the other. Begin by using your thumb to close your right nostril and breathe in slowly through your left nostril. Next, reverse and breathe out through your right nostril, closing your left nostril with your finger.

It works well to unwind and enhance mental clarity. It soothes the nervous system and gives peace of mind. Practicing mindfulness breathing for relaxation regularly can help keep your mind focused for the rest of the day.

5. Diaphragmatic Breathing (Abdominal Breathing)

Diaphragmatic breathing is a form of deep breathing tip in which you concentrate on breathing with your diaphragm rather than your chest. This breathing for relaxation fills your lungs with slow, full breaths. It also assists in eliminating shallow, rapid breathing that is usually brought about by anxiety.

To practice, lay one hand on your chest and the other hand on your abdomen. Breathe in and let your abdomen rise instead of your chest. Breathe out slowly and repeat. This is a relaxation technique and can be especially useful when you’re stressed or anxious.

6. Box Breathing

Box breathing or 4-4-4 breathing is another anxiety-reducing breathing tip. This is easy to do and follow. Inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, and rest for four seconds before repeating.

This technique can calm and concentrate you by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the body’s “rest and digest” system. By using breathwork for anxiety and stress, you can take control of your emotions during tense moments.

7. Lion’s Breath

If you’re feeling tense or frustrated, the Lion’s Breath is a fun and invigorating breathing exercise for anxiety that can help release tension. To do this, inhale deeply through your nose and exhale forcefully through your mouth while sticking out your tongue and making a “ha” sound.

This exercise relaxes tension in your neck, jaw, and face and stimulates your throat chakra. It’s an excellent technique for reducing anxiety and establishing a feeling of inner self-confidence and power.

8. Mindful Breathing

Mindful breathing for relaxation is the exercise of focusing on each breath as it enters and leaves your body. It’s an easy technique, but it can have a significant effect on your capacity to relax.

Sit or lie down comfortably. Pay attention to your breath as it enters your nose, flows into your lungs, and leaves your body. If your mind wanders, gently bring your attention back to your breath. This exercise keeps you grounded in the present and leads to relaxation.

9. Resonance Breathing

Resonance breathing involves synchronizing your breathing with your body’s natural rhythm, which promotes relaxation. By establishing a breathing pattern that synchronizes with the heartbeat of the body, you can calm down and establish a peaceful state of mind. To do this, breathe in for five seconds and breathe out for five seconds, repeating the process.

This relaxation breathing technique balances your heart rate variability, enhancing overall well-being and reducing stress.

10. Breathing With Visualization

One of the strongest breathing tips for anxiety reduction is to pair breathwork with visualization. While breathing deeply, imagine breathing calmly and releasing tension. Visualizing a serene environment, like a beach or forest, can increase the relaxation response and decrease the strength of your anxiety.

To practice, sit still and close your eyes. While you breathe in, imagine breathing in peace and calmness. While you breathe out, imagine letting go of all the tension and stress in your body.