Anxiety and stress can affect almost every part of a person’s life. When your body is in fight-or-flight mode, being told to ‘just breathe’ isn’t always the most helpful response. However, engaging in breathing exercises has been shown to reduce symptoms and help with panic attacks. So whether you’re already in a state of tension, worry, or unease, or you simply want to prevent that from happening, here are some simple breathing exercises to help you connect to a sense of calm.
Square/Box Breathing
Box breathing is a great tool to have in your toolkit for when you’re stressed or anxious. To do this exercise, simply trace the outline of a square with your finger as you breathe. You can do this on a surface in front of you or in the air. One side of the square will be your inhale, the next side will be holding your breath, the third side will be your exhale and the fourth side will be another hold. Do a four-count for each side of the square.
Alternate Nostril Breathing
For this exercise, press a finger to your left nostril to block off the air flow and breathe in through your right nostril. Then hold the breath, switch your finger to the right nostril and breathe out through the left nostril. Breathe in through the left nostril and switch again, repeating the process as many times as you like.
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4-7-8 Breathing
For this method, start by resting your tongue above your front teeth and exhale. Then breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold for seven seconds and exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds. This exercise is great for relaxing and is even used to help induce sleep.
Abdominal Breathing
When we take shallow breaths, we normally breathe through our chests. So, a great way to induce deeper breathing is to consciously breathe through the abdomen. Lay down on a bed or the floor and place on hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Breathe so that the hand on your belly rises up as far is it can. You can also use a pillow or teddy bear on your stomach and practice lifting that up with your breath.
Lion’s Breath
Doing a lion’s breath requires feeling a little goofy, but it’s worth it. Spread your fingers wide, breathe in, and then exhale with your tongue out, stretching your jaw wide. As you do so, make a “ha” sound from your belly. Repeat this as much as you’d like.
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