What Role Does Breathwork Play in Anxiety?

We’ve all dealt with feeling anxious in some way, even if not all of us live with a diagnosable anxiety disorder. But how you choose to confront your anxiety can be the key difference between worsening it or working your way through an episode in a healthy way.

As mental health awareness continues to grow, alternative ways to deal with anxiety are becoming more and more available to us. One of these options is breathwork, which has become known as a powerful tool to manage anxiety. The discipline of breathwork has its roots in ancient cultural traditions and is now being explored and integrated into modern wellness practices — including as an anxiety intervention.

In this article, we’ll review how your breath can help you manage anxiety and give you some techniques you can try today.

What is Breathwork?

At its core, breathwork is the conscious control and manipulation of one’s breathing. Although this definition can sound misleadingly simple, breathwork can take many unique forms, each with its own goals and techniques.

Historically, breathwork has been a key component of many different spiritual and cultural traditions worldwide. In yoga, the breath is seen as a life force (or “prana”), and controlling it is believed to be key to achieving spiritual growth and physical balance. Traditional Chinese medicine also recognizes the importance of breath; practices like Tai Chi incorporate controlled breathing to align the body’s energy.

In many indigenous cultures, the breath has been used as a tool for healing, introspection, and connecting to the divine. For millennia, breathwork has been acknowledged worldwide as a path to healing.

Today, breathwork has become a secular practice that has influenced Western medicine. Health practitioners teach breathing techniques to reduce stress and improve overall health and well-being.

The benefits of Breathwork for anxiety

Breathwork can help with many different aspects of anxiety. Studies have shown breathing practices with longer, slower-paced breaths, multiple sessions, and human guidance show the most benefits^[1].

In other words, to get the most out of breathwork practices, it’s important to breathe slowly and deeply, practice regularly over time, and be guided by a teacher (at least during your first few sessions) instead of trying to teach yourself.

As you practice and understand breathwork and anxiety, you’ll find what works best for you.

Here are some of the most notable ways breathing can help you through your anxiety.

Reduces physiological stress responses

Anxiety often triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response (also called the stress response), which leads to physical changes like rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing, and elevated blood pressure. Breathwork can counteract these physical symptoms by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and relaxation.

By slowing down the breath, especially using deep, intentional breathing exercises, your heart rate decreases, and your blood pressure has a chance to normalize. Practicing slow, deep breaths signals to your body that you’re safe and relaxed and can allow your nervous system to enter a more peaceful state.

This physiological shift can quickly bring your body out of a heightened state of stress and help you feel more grounded even in a crisis^[2].

Enhances emotional regulation

Breathwork impacts your emotions as significantly as it does your body. When you feel anxious, emotions can feel overwhelming. And when emotions are overwhelming, managing or processing them effectively becomes challenging.

In a sense, breathwork creates a buffer and helps you take control of your emotions by providing a moment to step back from “big” feelings. This could be because of the way breathwork affects a part of your brain called the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for skills like emotion regulation (being able to self-manage strong emotions). By regulating your breath, you set yourself up to be better able to manage painful feelings when they come up.

Improves focus and clarity

One of the lesser-known benefits of breathwork is its ability to sharpen mental focus and enhance clarity, which can be particularly helpful when you’re dealing with anxiety.

Anxious thoughts can cloud your mind and make it difficult to think clearly or concentrate on important tasks. Breathwork, especially techniques that require counting or focus on breath retention, forces your mind to be present and attentive.

This focus can be particularly useful during moments of high anxiety and allow you to shift your attention away from anxious thoughts and back to the task at hand.

As your mind becomes more focused, you might experience fewer intrusive thoughts and a clearer mental space. This can be an invaluable tool when your anxiety manifests as a racing or cluttered mind.

Helps with mindfulness and presence

Breathwork and mindfulness go hand in hand, so much so the most basic mindfulness practices encourage you to rest your awareness on your breath. By being mindful of every breath, you can focus more on each present moment.

Mindfulness is a research-backed method for managing anxiety. It can help you detach from worries about the future or regrets about the past. By focusing on your breath, you can find a greater sense of presence and awareness in the present moment.

Because anxiety often involves worrying about things beyond your control, the practice of breathwork could offer a grounding reminder that the present moment is manageable — and, at least at this moment, you are safe.

Techniques to try

There are several breathwork techniques you can practice to manage anxiety effectively. The good news is these exercises can be done anywhere and require no special equipment or experience.

Try these breathwork techniques the next time you’re feeling anxious.

Diaphragmatic breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing, also known as belly breathing, focuses on engaging the diaphragm to promote deep, calming breaths. This technique encourages full oxygen exchange, which slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure.

Research demonstrates that slow diaphragmatic breathing techniques effectively reduce stress in patients with anxiety disorders by improving both physiological and psychological outcomes.

These breathing methods positively influence the nervous system, increasing heart rate variability (HRV) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), which boost parasympathetic activity and help regulate emotions. A credible study suggests that using breathwork to correct respiratory abnormalities can be a promising, non-invasive treatment approach for anxiety management^[3].

Here’s how to practice diaphragmatic breathing:

1. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.

2. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.

3. Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your abdomen to rise as your diaphragm fills with air. Your chest should remain relatively still.

4. Exhale slowly through pursed lips, letting your abdomen fall.

5. Repeat for several minutes, focusing on the movement of your diaphragm.

Box breathing

Box breathing, also known as square breathing, is an easy, useful technique that involves controlling the breath in four equal parts. It may be especially useful in high-stress situations, such as before a presentation or during moments of panic because it helps you soothe your nervous system quickly through controlled and steady breathing. .

Here’s how to practice box breathing:

1. Inhale through your nose for a count of four.

2. Hold your breath for a count of four.

3. Exhale through your mouth for a count of four.

4. Hold your breath for a count of four.

5. Repeat the cycle for several minutes, maintaining steady, rhythmic breaths.

4-7-8 breathing

The 4-7-8 breathing technique is a relaxing breathing pattern that can be particularly helpful if you experience anxiety at night or before bed. The key to this breathwork technique is the exhale is much longer than the inhale. This can slow down your breathing and help you feel calmer.

Here’s how to practice 4-7-8 breathing:

1. Inhale through your nose for a count of four.

2. Hold your breath for a count of seven.

3. Exhale slowly and completely through your mouth for a count of eight.

4. Repeat this cycle for four to five rounds, focusing on the length and ease of each exhalation.

Alternate nostril breathing

Alternate nostril breathing, or Nadi Shodhana, is a breathwork technique from the yogic tradition that involves breathing through one nostril at a time to balance the body and the mind. This practice is known for relaxing the mind, reducing anxiety, and balancing the nervous system.

Here’s how to practice alternate nostril breathing:

1. Sit in a comfortable position with your spine straight.

2. Use your right thumb to close your right nostril.

3. Inhale slowly through your left nostril.

4. Close your left nostril with your right ring finger, then release your right nostril.

5. Exhale slowly through your right nostril.

6. Inhale through your right nostril, close it with your thumb, and exhale through your left nostril.

7. Repeat for several cycles, focusing on the rhythm and flow of your breath.

Holistic mental health treatment with The Center • A Place of HOPE

At The Center • A Place of HOPE, we’re committed to using a wide variety of holistic treatment methods to address anxiety and other related mental health problems. We’ve personally witnessed the powerful effects of breathwork on stress and anxiety and incorporate it into other treatment methods to help you heal.

Our unique Whole Person Care approach ensures that your treatment will address your life’s physical, emotional, intellectual, relational, and spiritual elements.

Don’t wait to start taking care of your mental health. Get in touch with us to start your journey today.

References

1 – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10741869/
2 – https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-27247-y#Sec18
3 – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9954474/#sec4-brainsci-13-00256 v