Simple Breathing Exercise
Slow, comfortable breathing can be a simple way to pause when you feel tense, anxious or overwhelmed.
Slow, comfortable breathing can be a simple way to pause when you feel tense, anxious or overwhelmed.
You do not need to take enormous breaths or follow a complicated counting pattern. The aim is gentle, unforced breathing.
Get comfortable
Sit, stand or lie somewhere safe. Loosen anything that feels restrictive if you can.
Let your shoulders drop naturally. There is no need to force your posture into a particular position.
Try a gentle rhythm
Breathe in comfortably through your nose if you can, then breathe out slowly. You might count gently to three or four on the way in and use a similar or slightly longer count on the way out.
Keep the breath comfortable rather than trying to fill your lungs as much as possible. If counting makes you more tense, leave the counting out.
Continue for a few minutes
Bring your attention back to the next breath whenever your mind wanders.
You are not trying to stop thoughts. You are giving part of your attention to a steady physical rhythm.
What should it feel like?
The exercise may help you feel a little more settled, but it does not have to create instant calm to be worthwhile.
If you feel light-headed, uncomfortable or more anxious, return to your normal breathing and stop the exercise.
Use breathing as a pause, not an avoidance strategy
Breathing can help create enough space to think more clearly before taking the next step.
If there is a practical problem underneath the anxiety, come back to it once you feel able. A breathing exercise cannot fix a debt, relationship problem or workload, but it may make the next action easier to identify.
Make it easy to remember
Try it at a regular point in the day, such as before starting work, after getting home or before a difficult appointment.
Short, repeated practice is often more realistic than waiting until you feel extremely anxious.
11.1: Five-Minute Grounding Exercise
11.5: Identifying Your Stress Triggers
General information only. This is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional healthcare advice.