Breathing exercises for anxiety: three techniques, and when to use each
For a moment of anxiety, the breathing that works best is the kind that lengthens the exhale. Three simple techniques have research behind them: cyclic sighing to calm down fast, box breathing when you need something to count, and slow five-and-five breathing to practice every day. In a Stanford trial, five minutes of daily breathwork improved mood more than five minutes of mindfulness meditation.
Why does breathing help with anxiety?
Because it is the one part of your automatic nervous system you can steer on purpose. You can't decide to slow your heart down, but you can slow your breathing down, and your heart follows.
When you are anxious, your breathing speeds up and stays high in your chest. Breathing slowly, and above all exhaling long, sends the body the opposite signal. A review of the studies on slow breathing consistently found higher heart rate variability — a marker of the nervous system's brake — and lower anxiety in what participants reported.
Technique 1: cyclic sighing, to calm down fast
When: in the moment, when you notice anxiety rising.
- Breathe in through your nose to about half your capacity.
- Without letting it out, take a second short inhale to top up your lungs.
- Breathe out slowly through your mouth until you are completely empty.
- Repeat. Most people notice a difference after three or four rounds.
It is the deliberate version of the sigh your body already does on its own to reset. Here is cyclic sighing in detail.
Technique 2: box breathing, when you need to count
When: when your head is moving so fast you need a concrete task.
- Breathe in for a count of four.
- Hold for a count of four.
- Breathe out for a count of four.
- Hold empty for a count of four.
- Start again.
Four equal phases make a "box" that is easy to picture. Its strength is that counting keeps your mind busy. Its limit is that the exhale is no longer than the inhale, and in the trial that compared them it came out behind cyclic sighing.
Technique 3: five-and-five, to practice every day
When: as a daily practice, not as an emergency tool.
- Breathe in through your nose for about five seconds.
- Breathe out for about five seconds.
- Keep going for five to fifteen minutes.
That works out to about six breaths a minute, the pace many studies associate with higher heart rate variability. It is not as quick to feel as cyclic sighing, but practiced daily it is the one that trains you most.
What did the Stanford trial compare?
The trial randomly assigned participants to one of four five-minute daily practices for a month: cyclic sighing, box breathing, cyclic hyperventilation with breath retention and, as a comparison, mindfulness meditation.
The breathing practices improved mood more than meditation, and cyclic sighing stood out most: it also reduced resting breathing rate more than meditation did. Cyclic hyperventilation is a more intense technique that we don't recommend practising without guidance, which is why it is not on this list.
Which one should I pick?
According to Meditar, the practical answer is: learn cyclic sighing for the hard moments and practice five-and-five when you feel fine. A technique you only use in the middle of a spike of anxiety is hard to remember right then; one you have already practiced comes on its own.
And if counting stresses you out, don't count. The ratio matters more than the exact seconds: long exhale, short inhale, no straining.
When to ask for help
Breathing helps in the moment and when trained daily, but it is not a treatment. If anxiety is with you most days, if you have panic attacks, or if it is limiting your life, talk to a health professional.
Breathe with a voice that sets the pace
Counting while you are anxious asks for work from exactly the part of you that is overwhelmed. A voice that keeps the rhythm lets you just breathe. In Meditar you pick the voice that guides you: you listen before choosing and keep the one that feels right. It has breathing and anxiety meditations from five minutes, and it is free to start: download it here.