5 Breath Techniques for Anxiety

Breathing is an automatic function that is controlled by the respiratory centre of the brain. When we are feeling stressed or anxious, our breathing rate and pattern changes. Luckily, we are able to change our breathing. Some studies have shown that controlling your breathing can help to manage stress and anxiety. Breath control can be used to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety. (1)

Here are some different breathing techniques to help reduce stress and anxiety.

Finger Breathing

This is one of my favourite techniques to use because it is so simple.

• Hold one hand with your fingers spread wide apart
• With your pointer finger on your other hand, slowly trace around your thumb and fingers.
• As you move up your thumb or finger, take a slow breath in; pause at the top, then slowly breathe out as you move down.
• Go all the way through your thumb and all four fingers, pause and the repeat going back the other way.

Belly Breathing

Generally, people have two different types of breathing patterns – chest breathing and abdominal or belly breathing. Put your hand on your chest or your belly to see where your breaths are going to.

• Diaphragmatic (abdominal) breathing: This type of breathing is a type of deep, even breathing that engages your diaphragm, allowing your lungs to expand and creating negative pressure that drives air in through the nose and mouth, filling your lungs.¹⁰ This is the way newborn babies naturally breathe. You’re also probably using this pattern of breathing when you’re in a relaxed stage of sleep.
• Thoracic (chest) breathing: This type of breathing comes from the chest and involves short, rapid breaths. When you’re anxious, you might not even be aware that you’re breathing this way. (2)

When breathing through your belly, your hand should rise and fall with each intake and exhale of breath. You can try to imagine that there is a balloon inside your tummy that you are trying to blow up with each inhale.

Longer Exhale

A great way to slow your breathing (and your heart rate) down is to perform a longer exhale than inhale.

Take a slow and steady breath in, counting to 5 in your head. Pause and take a slower exhale, counting to 6 or 7.

As you practice this style of breathing more, you can make your inhale and exhale counts longer.

4-7-8 Breathing

This is not a breathing exercise that I used with my kids but have practiced in many times in my yoga classes. It is an extension of the longer exhale exercise.

1. Place and keep the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue behind your upper front teeth for the duration of the exercise.
2. Completely exhale through your mouth, making a “whoosh” sound.
3. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose, while counting to four in your head.
4. Hold your breath for a count of seven.
5. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound, a count of eight.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

This is another one regularly done in my yoga classes. It’s not something I taught the kids in my classes though – you’ll see why as you read through the technique – kids and fingers near noses causes too many giggles!

This technique is achieved by breathing through one nostril whilst blocking the other nostril with your finger, then breathing out through the other nostril while blocking the first with another finger.

1. Take a comfortable and tall seat, making sure your spine is straight and your heart is open.
2. Relax your left palm comfortably into your lap and bring your right hand just in front of your face.
3. With your right hand, bring your pointer finger and middle finger to rest between your eyebrows, lightly using them as an anchor. The fingers we’ll be actively using are the thumb and ring finger.
4. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in and out through your nose.
5. Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale through the left nostril slowly and steadily.
6. Close the left nostril with your ring finger so both nostrils are held closed; retain your breath at the top of the inhale for a brief pause.
7. Open your right nostril and release the breath slowly through the right side; pause briefly at the bottom of the exhale.
8. Inhale through the right side slowly.
9. Hold both nostrils closed (with ring finger and thumb).
10. Open your left nostril and release breath slowly through the left side. Pause briefly at the bottom.
11. Repeat 5-10 cycles, allowing your mind to follow your inhales and exhales. (3)

Steps 5-9 represent one complete cycle of alternate nostril breathing. If you’re moving through the sequence slowly, one cycle should take you about 30-40 seconds. Move through 5-10 cycles when you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or in need of a reset button.

Work up to 10 rounds of this breathing pattern. If you begin to feel lightheaded, take a break by releasing both nostrils and breathing normally.

There is an old saying that goes “you can’t teach a person who is drowning how to swim”. It’s similar with these breathing techniques – the more you practice when you are not feeling stressed or anxious, the easier it will come when you are feeling stressed or anxious. As with anything, practice makes perfect.

Please also remember that if you feel light-headed at all while trying any of these techniques, stop and take a break.

 

References

1. Better Health Channel, 2015, ‘Breathing to Reduce Stress’, Victoria State Government, viewed on 29 August 2022, https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/breathing-to-reduce-stress
2. Ankrom S, 2022, ‘9 Breathing Exercises to Relieve Anxiety’, Very Well Mind, viewed on 30 August 2022, https://www.verywellmind.com/abdominal-breathing-2584115
3. Eisler M, 2015, ‘Nadi Shodhana: How to Practice Alternate Nostril Breathing’, viewed on 30 August 2022, https://chopra.com/articles/nadi-shodhana-how-to-practice-alternate-nostril-breathing