5 breathing exercises that help you control anxiety and stress

To end stress it is essential that, while performing these breathing exercises, we concentrate on relaxing and breathing and forget about other problems

Breathing Exercise for anxiety

Anxiety and stress are disorders that, by the modern lifestyle, regularly affect people of all ages.

They are defense mechanisms that activate the organism in situations of challenge or danger that, although they can be sporadic, tend to generate physical and emotional reactions.

The most worrisome is that they have become so common that many do not know how important it is to pay attention to them, especially when such psychological conditions become recurrent.

Although not all cases require professional help to be treated, it is essential to adopt healthy practices that help manage it properly.

For this reason, in the next space we want to share 5 breathing exercises that, in the face of these problems, can help to relax the body and mind.


Discover them!

Breathing techniques to reduce the effects of anxiety and stress are they effective?

• The first question that we have undoubtedly asked is: are there really breathing techniques that allow us to reduce the impact of anxiety and stress?

Well, it should be said that within the most common psychological techniques to treat these conditions, we undoubtedly have valuable tools to train in relaxation and breathing.

Also, studies like the one carried out at the University of Camerino, in Italy, explain that deep breathing (diaphragmatic) is effective to give us very appropriate states of relaxation when we go through moments of excitement and nervousness.

Therefore, the tips that we will detail below can be very useful to better manage moderate stress or anxiety.


For more intense and recurrent conditions it is always necessary to have specialized advice.

1. Measured breathing

Breathing exercise for anxiety - Counting breath

The measured breathing exercise is a relaxation therapy that, in a matter of minutes, helps to calm the physical and mental tension.


His regular practice helps us to calm the mind and improve concentration.

How to do it?

• Standing, sitting or lying on a mat, let your shoulders fall and relax your hands while keeping your back straight, without tensing.
• Close your eyes and inhale slowly, counting 5 to 7 seconds.
• Then, exhale slowly through your nose while you count to 7.
• Repeat the exercise for 2 or 3 minutes in a row, maintaining a comfortable position.

2. Abdominal breathing

Abdominal breathing is a simple technique that reduces physical and emotional stress while purifying the air from the lungs.


Abdominal breathing Exercise releases muscle tension and, in turn, improves blood pressure and heart rate.

How to do it?

• In the position that you consider most comfortable, always with your back straight, put one hand on your chest and another on your abdomen.
• Inhale and see that the diaphragm inflates with enough air to widen the lungs.
• Exhale slowly and perform between 6 and 10 slow breaths per minute.
• Repeat the exercise for 3 minutes.

3. Counting Breathing

With the counting breathing exercise you can free the body of stress while entering a deep state of concentration and relaxation.


According to Buddhism, it is an activity that can provide wisdom , as well as health benefits .

How to do it?

• Sit in a comfortable position, with your back straight and your head slightly tilted forward.
• Close your eyes and inhale slowly while you count 2 seconds.
• Then, count another 3 seconds and exhale.
• Next, inhale and count 4 seconds.
• To finish, exhale slowly, counting 4 or 5 seconds.
• Repeat the exercise for 3 or 5 minutes.

4. Humming/Bee Breathing

The bee breathing is an exercise in which you will emit a slight sound while you connect the body and the mind to obtain a pleasant sensation of well-being .


It is ideal to relieve episodes of stress and anxiety, especially when accompanied by muscle tension and headache.

How to do it?

• In the position that you like, relax your shoulders and keep your back straight, without tightening it.
• Close the throat slightly, so that you can hear the sound of the air when you are inspiring.
• Cover your ears with your thumbs and eyes with your fingers.
• Keep your lips half closed and your teeth separated, with your jaw relaxed.
• Exhale gently, vibrating the vocal cords.
• Do 5 or 10 repetitions.

5. Progressive breathing

progressive breathing

This type of breathing is ideal for those cases in which stress is accompanied by muscle tension and pain.


Its practice relaxes the body and, at the same time, helps to concentrate the mind to reduce anxiety.

How to do it?

• In a comfortable position, close your eyes and concentrate on tensing and releasing the muscles.
• Start from the bottom up, for example, focusing first on the feet, thighs and glutes.
• Then, it passes into the hands, arms and shoulders, always doing deep breathing.
• Finally, focus on the back, neck and head.
• Throughout the exercise you must maintain a slow and deep inspiration, counting up to 5.

Are you ready to try it at home? Although there are many techniques and remedies to combat anxiety and stress, the regular practice of these simple exercises can become a very useful complementary therapy.