Changes in Breathing Patterns

While breathing is an automatic process, circumstances and emotions can impact the
way we breathe.

Often, if a person is anxious or stressed, their breathing can become shallow and
increase in rate - this is part of the ‘fight or flight’ response of the body. With continued
anxious breathing, symptoms of stress are likely to continue and possibly worsen.

Fortunately, while stress can negatively impact your breathing patterns and prolong the
response, you do have the power to control your breathing and create a positive
impact.

Your breath is a very powerful tool and can be utilised within a regular routine to
promote relaxation and reduce stress.
Changes to Breathing with
Anxiety

When feelings of anxiety arise, your body reacts in both physical and mental ways.
Research has shown a strong association between anxiety and the respiratory system.

Your body may react with feelings of shortness of breath or like you can’t catch your
breath, tightness in the chest or feeling like you’re suffocating. These happen as a
result of the fight or flight response and your body trying to get more oxygen to your
muscles. Your body believes it needs to prepare you to run or fight in order to save your
life.
Breathing for Relaxation

By controlling your breathing for the purpose of relaxation you can successfully calm
your nervous system.

Changes to your nervous system, with positive changes to your breathing, can include:

o lowered blood pressure and heart rate

Practising a variety of breathing techniques can help reduce physical and mental
symptoms of anxiety and stress. It is important to practise these techniques and
strategies when you are not experiencing symptoms of anxiety or stress in order for
these techniques to work to the best ability during heightened moments.
Things to Remember

When practising any of the following breathing techniques, you need to consider your
environment. Find yourself a comfortable and quiet place to sit or lie down. You can be
sitting in a chair, cross-legged on the floor or lying on your back with a small pillow
under your head and your knees for support.

When beginning to practise different breathing techniques you may find yourself tiring
easily or that it is a lot of effort to simply breath. This is completely normal and will
become easier and more automatic the more you practise. Start slow, with shorter time
periods to complete each technique and build up to increasing the time with practise.
When beginning, try to start with three to five minutes of the technique each day and
slowly work up to spending 10 minutes completing the exercise each day.
Belly Breathing

Place one hand on your upper chest and one hand below your ribcage on your belly.

Allow your whole body to relax.

Breathe in through your nose slowly and focus on the feeling of where the air moves.
The air should move slowly downwards to make the hand on your belly rise and fall,
with the hand on your chest staying relatively still.

Breathe out slowly through your mouth and repeat.

Also known as
abdominal
breathing or
diaphragmatic
breathing.
This is often
best
completed
lying down.
Focused Breathing

Sit or lie down and inhale and exhale normally. Mentally scan your body and notice any
tension.

Take a slow breath in through your nose and notice your body expanding.

Exhale gently through your mouth.

Choose a word to focus on and vocalise. Words such as calm or safe can be very
useful.

Continue to focus on your breath and when you exhale, vocalise your chosen word and
imagine your worries washing away.

Repeat.
Box Breathing

Allow your whole body to relax.

Inhale for a count of four.

Hold the air in your lungs for a count of four.

Exhale for a count of four.

Hole your lungs empty for a count of four.

Repeat the pattern.

This can be
completed in
any
comfortable
position.
The Relaxing Breath

Allow your whole body to relax.

Inhale through your nose for a count of four.

Hold the air in your lungs for a count of seven.

Exhale slowly through your mouth, while making a comfortable exhale sound, for a
count of eight.

Repeat the pattern.

Also known as
4-7-8
breathing.
This technique
may take time
to work up to
completing
the full
counts.
Equal Breathing

Sit or lie down and inhale and exhale normally. Mentally scan your body and notice any
tension.

Breathe in through your nose slowly counting to four.

Exhale to the same four second count.

While breathing, focus on the feeling of your lungs being full and then being empty.

Repeat.
Lion’s Breath

Find a comfortable sitting position and direct your gaze to the ceiling.

Inhale slowly through your nose.

When you exhale, open your mouth wide, stick your tongue out towards your chin and
vocalise the sound ‘ah’ loudly.

Relax and repeat.

This technique
is about
exhaling
forcefully and
is best
completed
sitting up.