4 Breathing Techniques to Calm Anxiety
Do you ever feel enslaved to your own anxiety?
Your stomach does more layups than LeBron.
Your brain feels like a hamster trapped in its wheel.
Somewhere at a lost-and-found there’s a box labeled Hours of Sleep with your name on it.
Hours spent assessing. Regretting. Replaying. Reassessing. Wondering. Worrying. Rinse and repeat.
Our modern world provides lots of wonderful conveniences, but also lots of stress. You need tools for navigating anxious thoughts and symptoms.
And you’re in luck. Breathwork is a tool that’s super simple and highly effective. I’m going to tell you why it works and give you three easy techniques you can do anytime, anywhere.
So take a warm-up breath, and let’s get started.
How Does it Help?
When anxiety comes out to play, it means business. Mental symptoms include fear, worry, overthinking, and unease. Physically, you can experience an increased heart rate, shortness of breath, shaking, gastrointestinal discomfort, among other things.
It’s not pleasant.
Using a breathing technique — just as simple as taking deep breaths — asks you to release your attention from the stress and come into the present moment. It cultivates mindfulness, a natural antidote to stress.
It also elicits the opposite symptoms:
Decreases heart rate
Soothes the nervous system
Eases muscle tension
Reduces stress hormones
These are just the short-term effects. Practicing breathwork consistently over time will yield lasting benefits, too. You’ll eventually experience less intensity in your anxiety symptoms and feel overall calmer in the face of stress.
Start with a few minutes a day, and increase the amount of time as you get more comfortable.
1. Ujayi Breath
Also referred to as ocean or victorious breathing, ujayi breath is commonly used by yoga practitioners to stay present and grounded throughout their practice.
To use:
Pinch or restrict the throat just slightly, as though to fog up a mirror. You’ll hear a light sound — like the ocean or Darth Vader — as you breathe.
You’ll notice immediately how your breath naturally deepens and slows down. That’s the idea!
Sometimes it can feel too constricting when you aren’t used to it. If you feel any such discomfort, try breathing normally on the inhale and only pinch your throat on the exhales. Then, include the restricted inhales whenever you feel comfortable.
2. 4–7–8 Breath
Any technique where counting is involved gives another boost to the mindfulness aspect, because you have to pay a little more attention.
In addition to relaxing, this technique can help improve concentration. You can do this lying down or sitting up.
To use:
Inhale for a count of 4.
Hold for a count of 7.
Exhale for a count of 8.
Repeat.
To start, repeat this pattern four to eight times.
You can also repeat it more times if you wish. Just pay attention to how you feel. With any breathing technique, stop if you start to feel lightheaded.
3. Kumbhaka Breath
This is also referred to as holding breath, or full breath retention.
To use:
Start by sitting up straight.
Inhale fully (feel your stomach, rib cage, and chest expand).
Pause the breath. Hold it twice as long as your inhale.
Exhale completely, as smoothly and steadily as you can.
Repeat.
Continue this cycle at your own pace. You may breathe for 4 counts and hold for 8, or maybe breathe for 5 counts and hold for 10.
Again, don’t force anything. Observe how you feel. It’s ok to pause and breathe normally if you need to.
4. Three Part Inhale
This practice is perfect for sitting up or lying down.
After you exhale fully (draw that navel in!), slowly breathe in:
Breathe deeply into your core, only allowing expansion there, and pause.
Breathe in more and allow the rib cage to fill up. Pause again.
Take in as much more air as you can, feeling the chest rise.
Pause once more, and then breathe out completely in one continuous breath.
Repeat this pattern at least 8 times, but less if there is any discomfort.
Inhale Peace, Exhale the Rest
Imagine yourself in the not-so-distant future, experiencing the same sorts of stressors.
Only now, you’re falling asleep more easily. You have more clarity around people and situations. When anxiety symptoms start, you remember your toolbox before getting stuck on the hamster wheel.
You may feel like you’re too far gone for something like breathing to actually make a difference. I understand why it’s easy to feel skeptical.
But remember — breath work is natural, safe, and scientifically supported. So what’s there to lose from at least trying?
The best results happen over time with consistency. Now that you have the know-how, time to start your practice.
One day, you’ll notice yourself automatically breathing instead of spiraling.
And it will feel so, so good.