Reduce Anxiety and Relax with This Simple Breathing Technique
Feelings of anxiety and stress can stop us in our tracks.
The stress might have been building for days or months when suddenly the anxiety takes over and we find ourselves constantly worrying or feeling panicked.
Anxiety might be a part of your daily life or it could just show up for you when faced with situations outside of your comfort zone.
Whether anxiety is a common feeling for you or just happens on occasion, this simple breathing technique can be used to reduce anxiety fast and help you to feel calm within minutes.
I’ve had anxiety ever since my teenage years and at its’ worst, I was too anxious to leave the house, I suffered from regular panic attacks and had debilitating Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
Over the past 12 years, I’ve been working to transform my mindset and improve my mental health to reduce anxiety and stress in my life. What was once a persistent feeling for many years now only happens every once in a while when I’m facing a particularly difficult situation.
Even throughout the pandemic, I was able to minimise feelings of anxiety thanks to the tools and techniques I’ve learned over the years.
As well as seeking professional help in the form of CBT Therapy, I’ve learned how to manage anxiety naturally and by myself. Whilst there are many techniques I encourage you to use on a regular basis to keep anxiety at bay, this breathing technique is something that can be used at any moment to help you feel more calm and relaxed.
I’ve used this style of breathing to help me calm down before flights, prevent full blown panic attacks and to help me relax in my body during stressful times.
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How to Reduce Anxiety Instantly with the Box Breathing Technique
Box Breathing is a simple yet powerful breathing technique that can help you feel calm instantly by slowing down and steadying your breathing.
When we’re feeling anxious, our breathing typically becomes more shallow. When you use this technique, you begin to breathe deeper into your belly which will calm your nervous system and reduce stress in your body.
Not only will deep breathing help to relax your nervous system but by concentrating on breathing in a specific way, your mind becomes distracted from the feelings of stress and anxiety and instead has something to focus on.
The combination of concentrating your mind on something and slowing down the way you breathe can bring instant relief from anxiety and can help you to feel calm quickly.
How to Practice Box Breathing
Before you learn the technique, it’s important not to hold your breath for too long as this can be dangerous.
When you’re using the Box Breathing technique, imagine an image of a square in your mind. You’re going to breathe in four stages, or four sides of the square, with each stage of the breath being the same length in time.
Here’s the Box Breathing technique:
Breathe in for the count of 3
Hold for the count of 3
Breathe out for the count of 3
Hold for the count of 3
Once that feels comfortable, you can move onto to breathing for a count of 4. Remember, if it feels uncomfortable, return to normal breathing immediately.
Repeat this process until you begin to feel calmer in your body and you notice the feelings of stress and anxiety have disappeared.
When to Use Box Breathing
Box Breathing is a simple technique that you can use whenever and wherever you want to. You can start your day with a few rounds of box breathing to ensure you’re feeling relaxed or you can end your day with a few rounds of Box Breathing to help you have a better night’s sleep.
You can also use box breathing or Square Breathing whenever you feel anxious, stressed or overwhelmed with life. Spend anywhere from 1-5 minutes focusing on your breathing to bring about feelings of calm and inner peace.
The best thing about the box breathing technique is that you can use it anywhere! I’ve used it on buses, planes, trains, standing in the supermarket or whilst I’ve been co-working in a cafe when anxiety overwhelmed me.
For more tips on how to manage anxiety, you can listen to this episode of The Confidence Show Podcast where I shared the things I was doing to reduce anxiety during the pandemic: