What is the best breathing exercise for anxiety? Thoughts from an Anxiety Therapist based in Madison, WI
Hello! I’m Bronwyn, I’m a counselor for anxiety based in Madison, WI. As I’ve talked about before, there are many ways to decrease your anxiety, both in the moment and over time. Using breathing to calm your body and mind can be used in acute times of distress as well as regularly. There is research that shows that practicing intentional breathing regularly can, over time, decrease your overall level of anxiety. Positive effects include improved sustained attention, affect, and cortisol (stress hormone) levels.
Breathing exercises for anxiety help get you back in the present
Part of what is helpful about breathing exercises is that it can take you out of your mind and back into your body.
Using physical grounding to cope with anxiety helps bring your attention to something that is solidly in the present moment, like noticing your feet on the floor. Breathing exercises work similarly. Further, as John’s Hopkins Medicine notes, belly breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. We have two nervous systems: parasympathetic and sympathetic. The parasympathetic is also called the relaxation response. By both inhaling and exhaling fully, the relaxation response (parasympathetic nervous system) is activated. As the Cleveland Clinic notes, the parasympathetic nervous system supports functions like digestion heart rate.
As I’ll go into more below, it’s important to start any new breathing exercise for anxiety when you’re feeling at ease. After spending time practicing, you’ll be ready to start using it in moments of more acute anxiety.
So you want to know what is the best breathing exercise for anxiety?
My answer may be disappointing. The best breathing exercise for anxiety is the one that works best for you. This will take some time to figure out. If anyone tries to tell you what is the best one for you, I’d be suspicious. No one can tell you what the best breathing exercise is for you! You know yourself best, and only you can assess what works and what doesn’t.
There are so many breathing exercises to choose from! You may have heard about box breathing, the 3-3-3 breathing exercise, or the 4-7-8 technique. It might feel overwhelming to start, and frustrating if it feels unnatural or like it “doesn’t work.” My advice is to worry less about starting in the right place, and treat it as an experiment. You will absolutely try some that you don’t like. Don’t get stuck on that. There will be others that feel more comfortable. And, it may not feel natural for some time. Breathing exercises take practice.
A simple breathing exercise for anxiety: Longer exhale
If you have tried breathing exercises for anxiety in the past and gotten more anxious, you may want to try this one. If you don’t exhale enough air, it can make you more anxious. This exercise addresses that directly. You simply breathe out for longer than you breathe in. No deep breaths in, just a longer exhale.
There are a number of different recommendations for the ratio of inhale to exhale. Around twice as long is a good place to start. Inhale for 2-3 counts, and then exhale for 4-6 counts. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
It will most likely be too hard to exhale for that long without pursing your lips. This will let out a smaller amount of air and allow you to exhale for longer. To purse your lips, continue to breathe in through your nose. But when you exhale, leave only a small opening for your mouth. Shape your mouth like you’re going to whistle, or give someone a kiss. You could also imagine you are going to blow out lots of candles.
Then slowly blow all the air out.
Make sure you aren’t forcing the air out. It should be a slow release. As John’s Hopkins Children’s Hospital recommends, you can practice with a bubble wand, to help get the feel for slow, sustained exhales.
Start small with breathing exercises for anxiety
In my experience, starting small is the best way to begin a new practice. Research shows that just five minutes a day can make a difference. Once it feels more comfortable, you can build in more time.
In addition, it really helps to start a new breathing exercise when you are not feeling anxious. It’s harder to concentrate when you’re anxious. If it’s hard to find a time when you’re not anxious, try starting with Progressive Muscle Relaxation for anxiety or something else body-based like yoga to help calm your mind.
Although the long term goal is to use breathing exercises when your anxiety spikes, the first step is to practice when you’re more at ease.
By spending time doing a breathing exercise when you’re relaxed, it helps train your brain. That way, at times when you’re feeling more anxious, it won’t be as much work to engage in a breathing exercise for anxiety.
No matter what breathing exercise you try, know that it will take time to get used to it. If you’re interested in more kinds of breathing techniques for anxiety, I’m writing about that in my next blog.
Finally, regardless of whether you start practicing breathing exercises for anxiety, take a moment to acknowledge the work you are doing to decrease your anxiety. Taking time to research anxiety is evidence that you are prioritizing your health and wellbeing. It’s no small task to do that. The ideas you gain from your research, and the reactions you have to it, will keep simmering in your mind. It’s all part of your healing.
I’m a psychotherapist based in Madison, WI and licensed in WI and MA. I love working with women who struggle with anxiety.
I have worked in educational, medical, and mental health settings as a clinical social worker. I provide counseling for anxiety, depression therapy, and therapy for Highly Sensitive Persons. I work with women and HSPs and offer online therapy for people living in Wisconsin and telehealth therapy throughout Massachusetts.