Breathe Through Anxiety

Frequently asked questions

• Do breathing exercises for anxiety work?

  When everyday anxiety kicks in, the sympathetic nervous system goes into its fight or flight response and your breathing becomes more shallow and rapid, otherwise known as anxiety breathing. That’s when breathing exercises for anxiety can help. Because when you slow down and consciously pay attention to how you are breathing — inhaling/exhaling in a controlled way — your attention switches from the anxiousness and onto the breath. As a result, the “rest and digest” branch of your system (the parasympathetic nervous system) is activated, allowing you to breathe easier and feel calmer. So yes, changing the way you breathe can change the way you feel.

• What are the best breathing techniques for anxiety?

  Deliberately slowing down to ease rapid, shallow anxiety breathing is key when you start to feel anxiousness creeping in. Any breathing exercise for anxiety that invites taking slow, long, deep breaths can activate the “rest and digest” part of the parasympathetic nervous system. You are essentially swapping the stress response for the relaxation response. You could practice box breathing, for example, or practice deep breathing in a controlled manner, for 5-15 minutes, resulting in more oxygen reaching the lung which, in turn, restores a sense of calm.

• Can anxiety cause shortness of breath?

  Anxiousness at any level can trigger the sympathetic nervous system — otherwise known as the fight or flight response — and your breathing can become shallow and rapid; some people might even feel they are hyperventilating. That’s why breathing exercises for anxiety can be so helpful, because you take slow, long, deep breaths — in through the nose, out through the mouth — to oxygenate the body which means breathing easier which, in turn, means feeling more relaxed.

• How to help shortness of breath from anxiety

  A sure-fire way to help ease any shortness of breath caused by a sense of heightening anxiety is to make your exhales longer than your inhales. The Breathe Through Anxiety meditation helps with this, and it’s designed to slow down your heart rate as well as any racing thoughts. So follow the guidance and breathe in slowly through the nose to the count of 4, hold that breath for 7 seconds, and exhale through the mouth to the count of 8 (you can moderate the counts based on personal preference), and repeat until you feel calmer.