When everything feels out of your control, you can usually control your breath. It won’t solve everything in your life, but it’s a way to unspool yourself from an anxiety spiral and slow your swirling thoughts. A literature review and analysis published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews shows that slower breathing, no matter the technique, calms your autonomic nervous system and slows down your heart rate.
Below are some of our favorite breathwork techniques, recommended to us by certified therapists and licensed social workers, perfect for the waiting room, when you can’t sleep at night, or whenever you just feel like you need a reset. Do them for a minute, set a timer for 10 minutes, or just keep repeating whichever option you like best until you’ve felt yourself calm down.
4-7-8 Breathing
This option is a more structured approach to lengthening your exhale. Try to move yourself into the most comfortable position, wherever you are, and follow these steps:
1. Take a deep inhale for four seconds (count slowly in your head), and feel your belly and diaphragm fill up.
2. Now at the top, hold that breath for seven seconds.
3. And then, take a slow exhale for eight seconds.
4. Repeat as many times as needed.
Burst Breath
This breathing technique, named “burst breath” by oncology social worker Sarah Kurker, can feel empowering. When you’re at your limit, burst breath, though just a quick way to calm yourself down, shows you you can go a bit further. This is a great option if you’re feeling overwhelmed, drained, and anxious.
1. Take a deep breath in, as deep as you can, and hold there for a second.
2. Now at your limit, take in just a bit more air (you might try “sipping in” more air, as if you’re sipping through a straw). Feel it deep in your belly and diaphragm and hold for another second.
3. Then, take a big exhale. We like to open our mouths on this exhale and let out a sighing sound to get a more exaggerated, satisfying release.
4. Pause on empty for a moment and notice how you feel.
5. Repeat as many times as you need.
Box Breathing
Box breathing is another easy-to-remember template that can help you breathe deeper. For this one, you might even try picturing a square, and tracing it with your gaze as you breathe, to further draw your attention towards your breath.
1. Take a deep inhale for four seconds.
2. Hold that breath for four seconds.
3. Exhale for four seconds, feeling your belly deflate.
4. Pause with your lungs empty for four more seconds.
5. Repeat as many times as needed.
Quick Coherence Technique
This option adds an extra bit of mindfulness to your breathing, which, according to a review published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, is shown to make you less reactive to stress. Along with moving your focus away from what was making you anxious and towards your breathing patterns, this technique suggests you think of something that brings you joy and positive feeling, whether that be a loved one, your favorite movie, or a delicious meal you’ll get to eat.
1. Think of something that brings you joy, and be sincere. Get specific, with something that brings you real appreciation and positive emotions.
2. Take a breath in for four seconds, and exhale for four seconds, thinking intentionally about breathing slower than normal.
3. Envision that breath coming in towards and out from the middle of your chest, around your heart, rather than your belly or diaphragm.
