Inhale Serenity, Exhale Anxiety: Breathing Techniques for Anxiety

Inhale Serenity, Exhale Anxiety: Breathing Techniques for Anxiety

What is Diaphragmatic Breathing?

One of the most essential components of life, and something we often take for granted is breathing. The diaphragm is the muscle responsible for breathing, and without it, your lungs would not be able to function. Practices such as yoga and tai chi recognize the value and health impact of breathing and utilize diaphragmatic breathing exercises.

Diaphragmatic breathing is slow and deep breathing through the nose with minimal chest movement and maximal belly movement. Diaphragmatic breathing and breath control can significantly reduce anxiety levels [1,5,6,7,9,10,13]. Read on to learn more about how breathing can affect anxiety, and how to implement exercises each day to manage your anxiety.

How Can Breathing Promote Relaxation?

During breathing, your heart rate increases when you breath inward, and your heart rate slows when you breath outward [6]. Diaphragmatic breathing impacts the brain, cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems through the modulation of the autonomic nervous system [6]. The diaphragm is indirectly connected to the vagus nerve, which in turn affects the entire body through sympathetic and parasympathetic regulation [6]. Diaphragmatic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system while suppressing the sympathetic nervous activity, which turns off the fight or flight response and activates the rest and digest activities that help you to calm down, feel better, and think rationally [6,8,10].

Try These Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises are usually performed 5-10 minutes 3 to 4 times per day, and results can be felt within just a few minutes of practicing [2]. Below are a few breathing exercises you started. For each of these exercises it can help to lay on your back, placing one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach to make sure your stomach moves while your chest is still. Inhalation through your nose and exhalation through your mouth may help provide maximal benefits.

 

1. Pursed Lips

Breath in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 2 seconds, breath out through your mouth with pursed lips for 6 seconds. Repeat for 5-15 minutes [3].

 

2. Imagery Breath Focus

Choose a word, phrase, or image in your mind that promotes relaxation and makes you feel good, and a word or image that is negative and you want to release. For example, during inhalation your word can be serenity, and during exhaling it can be anxiety. Imagine that the air you inhale is true serenity entering your body, and the air you exhale is releasing anxiety from your body [3].

 

3. Resonant or Coherent Breathing

Inhale for five seconds, exhale for five seconds, and continue for a few minutes. Don’t fully fill your lungs [3]. 

 

4. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Begin with your feet and work your way incrementally up your body to your face. As you breathe in, tense the muscles of that body part. As you breathe out, release the tension in that body part. Complete the exercise after you work on the facial muscles [11].

 

5. Box Breathing

Exhale to a count of four. Hold for four counts. Inhale for four counts. Hold for four counts. Exhale and repeat [12].

 

6. Relaxing Breath or 4-7-8

Inhale for four seconds, hold for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds [4].

 

       

      Are you ready to begin practicing breathing techniques to relieve stress? We have products that can help you start, such as diaphragm trainers, exercise breathing trainers, and exhalation support necklaces to help you strengthen your diaphragm to perform better on the exercises above. Check out our store for more!

       

      References:

      1. Chen, Y. F., Huang, X. Y., Chien, C. H., & Cheng, J. F. (2017). The effectiveness of diaphragmatic breathing relaxation training for reducing anxiety. Perspectives in psychiatric care, 53(4), 329-336. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppc.12184
      2. Cleveland Clinic Medical. (2022). Diaphragmatic breathing exercises & benefits. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9445-diaphragmatic-breathing
      3. Cronkleton, E. (2023, March 24). 10 breathing techniques for stress relief and more. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/breathing-exercise#humming-bee-breath
      4. Fletcher, J. (2023, October 4). How to use 4-7-8 breathing for anxiety. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324417#uses
      5. Goldstein, M. R., Lewin, R. K., & Allen, J. J. (2022). Improvements in well-being and cardiac metrics of stress following a yogic breathing workshop: Randomized controlled trial with active comparison. Journal of American College Health, 70(3), 918-928. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1781867
      6. Hamasaki, H. (2020). Effects of diaphragmatic breathing on health: a narrative review. Medicines, 7(10), 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines7100065
      7. Hopper, S. I., Murray, S. L., Ferrara, L. R., & Singleton, J. K. (2019). Effectiveness of diaphragmatic breathing for reducing physiological and psychological stress in adults: a quantitative systematic review. JBI Evidence Synthesis, 17(9), 1855-1876. https://doi.org/10.11124/JBISRIR-2017-003848
      8. Jerath, R., Crawford, M. W., Barnes, V. A., & Harden, K. (2015). Self-regulation of breathing as a primary treatment for anxiety. Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback, 40(2), 107-115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-015-9279-8
      9. Magnon, V., Dutheil, F., & Vallet, G. T. (2021). Benefits from one session of deep and slow breathing on vagal tone and anxiety in young and older adults. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 19267. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-98736-9
      10. Novaes, M. M., Palhano-Fontes, F., Onias, H., Andrade, K. C., Lobão-Soares, B., Arruda-Sanchez, T., ... & de Araujo, D. B. (2020). Effects of yoga respiratory practice (Bhastrika pranayama) on anxiety, affect, and brain functional connectivity and activity: a randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in psychiatry, 11, 467. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00467
      11. Stöppler, M. C., MD. (2005, May 22). Progressive muscle relaxation for stress and insomnia. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/muscle-relaxation-for-stress-insomnia
      12. WebMD Editorial Contributors. (2021, April 9). What is box breathing? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-is-box-breathing
      13. Yılmaz, M. E. R. Y. E. M. (2020). The effect of progressive breathing relaxation training on preoperative anxiety and surgical stress response. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 13(2). http://www.internationaljournalofcaringsciences.org/docs/53_1_%20yilmaz_original_13_2.pdf 
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