6 Breathing Exercises for High Anxiety and Stress

Stress and in turn, anxiety is at an all time high for most of us right now. We tend to forget the incredible power and opportunity we have to reset our minds and nervous systems through the manipulation of our breath alone which is why I wanted to share these different breathing techniques with you.

My hope is that by sharing these techniques, you might be inclined to practice one or more of them on a weekly basis and together, we can be more proactive in reducing general stress and anxiety in our lives.

Here are six of my favorite breathing exercises to reduce severe stress and anxiety.

1. Box breathing

You can do this sitting down or standing up. You’re going to inhale through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale through the nose for four seconds. Repeat this for 2-5 minutes.

2. Diaphragmatic breathing; AKA belly breathing

You can do this standing or sitting up. You’re going to put one hand on your chest and one hand on your upper belly. Take a deep breathe in through your nose for three seconds and exhale through your nose for three seconds. You want the belly to rise and fall with each breath. Repeat for 3-5 minutes.

3. Pursed lip breathing

You should do this one standing upright. Take a deep breathe through your nose for three seconds and exhale through your mouth for six seconds with pursed lips. Repeat this for 3-5 minutes.

4. 4-7-8 breathing

This one you can do standing up. You’re going to inhale through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds, then exhale through your nose for eight seconds. Repeat this for 2-5 minutes.

5. Alternate nostril breathing

You can sit in a comfortable position or stay standing. Lift your right hand up toward your nose. Bend both your index finger and middle finger in towards your Palm and keep it there. Exhale completely and then use your right thumb to close your right nostril.

Inhale through your left nostril and then close the left nostril with your ring and pinky fingers. Open the right nostril and exhale through this side. Inhale through the right nostril and then close this nostril. Open the left nostril and exhale through the left side. This is one cycle. Repeat this for 2-5 minutes. Complete the practice by finishing with an exhale.

6. Equal Breathing

Practice equal breathing from a sitting or lying-down position. Whichever position you choose, be sure to get comfortable.

• First shut your eyes and pay attention to the way you normally breathe for several breaths.

• Then, slowly count 1-2-3-4 as you inhale through your nose. Exhale for the same four-second count.

• As you inhale and exhale, be mindful of the feelings of fullness and emptiness in your lungs. I like to imagine a balloon filling up with air as I inhale and then deflate as I exhale.

• As you continue practicing equal breathing, your second count might vary. Make sure to keep your inhales and exhales even with each breath.

Here’s the thing: although our workouts and nutrition are extremely important factors when it comes to reaching our fitness goals, not all emphasis and blame should be pointed to your training regimen and diet. How we manage our stress matters too! Which is why I coach my clients not only with their workouts and nutrition but also on how to effectively manage their stress.

Cortisol is a real hormone that increases with high stress levels in the body which can make it difficult to see any physical progress- despite how hard you’re training or how well you’re eating. How we manage stress in our daily lives plays a huge role in getting the fitness results we want.