Expert-Recommended Breathing Exercises May Ease Stress
The exercises are designed to help people feel calmer within a few minutes.
Stress can affect the body as well as the mind. Prolonged high stress may weaken the body, contribute to headaches, digestive problems and muscle tension, and raise the risk of heart disease and stroke. It can also reduce sleep quality, limiting the time the body has to recover and potentially increasing stress the following day.
Experts Jamie Ware, L.S.W., and Brian P. Ramos, Ph.D., describe breathing as a way to interrupt worry and encourage the nervous system to slow down. Structured breathing may lower heart rate and improve mood, while intentional breathing can help during acute stress or support resilience against ongoing stress.
One option is box breathing: sit or stand tall, inhale through the nose for about four counts, hold for four, exhale through the mouth for four, then hold again for four. Diaphragmatic breathing is done lying on your back with one hand on your belly and one on your upper chest; breathe so the lower hand rises while the chest stays mostly still, then slowly exhale. Another pattern uses a five-count inhale followed by a seven-count exhale, repeated comfortably. A further technique pairs a deep nasal inhale with a mouth exhale and a “ha” sound, with normal breaths between rounds.
- Box breathing uses four equal four-count stages.
- Diaphragmatic breathing is practiced lying on your back.
- One pattern pairs a five-count inhale with a seven-count exhale.
- Breathe normally for a few counts between “ha” exhale sets.
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