We breathe all the time – mostly without thinking about it. But paying attention to your breath and doing mindful breathing exercises is a wonderful way of reducing stress and anxiety. Simple breath practices help you regulate emotions, calm the mind, and reset the body. 

I discovered this after I suffered a bad period of stress. Taking time for myself and learning a slow mindful breathing technique felt amazingly powerful. After initial scepticism I’ve now become a passionate advocate for breathing exercises.

Why does it work?

When you are stressed or anxious, your body’s “fight or flight” response kicks in, preparing you to confront or escape perceived threats. This response is managed by the sympathetic nervous system and is accompanied by shallow, rapid breathing, an increased heart rate, and heightened alertness.

When you deliberately slow your breath, it engages the parasympathetic nervous system – your body’s “rest and digest” mode. This system counters the stress response, lowering heart rate, relaxing muscles, and encouraging a sense of calm. Studies show that deep breathing can reduce cortisol levels (a key stress hormone) and improve your ability to regulate or calm your emotions.

But you don’t have to be in a hyper stressed state to benefit from breathing practices. If you practice regularly just for a few minutes a day this will have great benefits. It allows you to be more present, more focussed and better able to cope with life’s challenges.

Which breathing practice is best?

There are a range of breathwork exercises that are available but I firmly believe that the best one is the one that you will actually do!  You might want to experiment with different ones. I have two favourites and they happen to be the first two that I learnt. 

One I love is “7/11 breathing” which is based on abdominal breaths – where you make sure your breath goes down to your diaphragm. This takes a little time to practice and it’s best to start with guidance.  If you subscribe to my newsletter I offer a complimentary 4 minute guided video on this.

My other favourite is the simple one of counting 10 breaths. This sounds easy but you might find it hard at first so I recommend persevering. Why not take a few moments now to try it out?

10 breaths practice instructions

Take 5 minutes to sit somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed. This exercise will reset your nervous system and I’m sure you’ll feel good afterwards. Remember it’s a practice so approaching this with a curious and open mind is beneficial. Allow it to happen however it happens – there is no right or wrong.

  1. Get comfortable: Sit or lie down in a relaxed position, letting your hands rest naturally.
  2. Close your eyes: Or keep them open with a soft gaze.
  3. Take a slow breath in: Breathe in deeply and naturally through your nose.
  4. Breathe out slowly: Let the air flow out gently through your nose or mouth.
  5. Count your breaths: Silently count each full breath (in and out) until you reach 10.
  6. Stay focused on each number: Your mind is likely to wander, gently bring your attention back to your breathing with no judgement.
  7. Notice how you feel: After 10 breaths, pause to observe any changes in your body or mind.
  8. If you lose count:  No problem, just start from the beginning again. (Spoiler – this is very likely and is part of the practice.)

Make it a habit to breathe mindfully every day

Breathing exercises are accessible to everyone, regardless of age, fitness level, or experience. Even in the busiest moments, we have the power to pause, breathe, and reset. In fact, if you are feeling overwhelmed or overstretched that is an ideal time to pause and breathe. Why not set an intention to do 5 minutes breathwork each day at a certain time?

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