Overview

Breathing is one of the most important and vital things that your body does. 

Your breathing changes in pattern and rhythm:

• at different times of the day
• when you are in different emotional states

For example, you might sigh in despair, pant with exhaustion or hold your breath in fear.

Breathing is one of the few bodily processes that can be voluntary or involuntary. You can:

• breathe automatically without thinking about it
• change your breathing pattern consciously

There is a unique relationship between your thinking and bodily processes. For this reason, your breathing pattern can strongly influence how much you are affected by stress.

This information covers: 

• how you can use your breathing to control your stress levels
• the 2 main types of breathing
• an abdominal breathing exercise for you to try

Using breathing to control stress

Breathing is one of the most sensitive indicators or warning signs of stress. This is because there is a strong link between your mind and body.

If you deliberately increase your awareness about breathing and practise breathing exercises, you can:

• improve your sense of wellbeing
• reduce your stress levels
• make your mind and body more connected with each other

Types of breathing

There are 2 main types of breathing:

• chest breathing
• abdominal (or diaphragmatic) breathing

Chest breathing

This type of breathing involves an upward and outward movement of the chest. It is most common during heavy exercise or emergency situations.

If you constantly use chest breathing, this can make your body tense as if it is under stress. This is because the activated upper chest muscles increase feelings of anxiety.

Abdominal (diaphragmatic) breathing

The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle, which separates your chest and tummy (abdomen):

• When you breathe in, your diaphragm tightens, flattens and moves down. This sucks air into the lungs. As the diaphragm moves down, it pushes the abdominal contents down and this forces the abdominal wall outwards.
• When you breathe out, the diaphragm relaxes. Air then passes out of the lungs and the abdominal wall flattens.

This type of breathing has 2 important effects on the body:

1. It is relaxing compared with the “emergency-style” breathing of the upper chest. Chest breathing is part of the body’s fight or flight response to a stressful situation. This is when your body instinctively responds to perceived danger by preparing to stay and deal with the situation or run away.
2. It is typical of the body’s regenerating processes, such as when you are asleep, digesting food or at rest. Babies and young children typically use abdominal breathing.

Abdominal breathing is the most efficient and relaxed way of getting enough air into your lungs.

If you breathe too quickly, deeply or irregularly, this can result in unpleasant symptoms. Examples include:

• dizziness
• faintness
• a headache
• visual disturbance
• tingling
• chest pain
• palpitations (a fast-beating, fluttering or pounding heart)
• sighing
• yawning
• sniffing too much

These symptoms can often become a cause of anxiety.

Abdominal breathing exercise

Find a quiet room where you will be undisturbed for 10 to 15 minutes. Then follow these steps:

1. Lie down on the bed or floor with a pillow under your knees. Undo any tight clothes and remove your shoes. Spend a few moments getting settled.
2. Close your eyes, spread your feet 30 to 45cm apart, and check that your head, neck and spine are in a straight line.
3. Focus your attention on your breathing. Do not try to change your breathing for the moment. Become aware of how fast or slow you are breathing, and if you are breathing with your chest or diaphragm. Notice if there are any gaps or pauses between your breaths-in (inhalation) and breaths-out (exhalation).
4. Put one hand on your upper chest, and the other on your abdomen just below your rib cage. Relax your shoulders and hands. As you breathe in, allow the abdomen to rise. As you breathe out, allow the abdomen to flatten. There should be little or no movement in your chest.
5. Allow yourself a little time to get into a regular breathing rhythm. It might be helpful to imagine that as you are breathing in, you draw half a circle with your breath around your body. As you breathe out, you complete the other half of the circle. Let your breathing become smooth, easy and regular.
6. Now make your breathing out slower. Leave a comfortable pause before allowing your breaths-in to follow smoothly and easily. If any distractions, thoughts or worries come into your mind, let them come and go, and bring your attention back to your breathing.
7. When you are ready to end this exercise, take a few deeper breaths-in. Bring some feeling back into your fingers and toes. Open your eyes slowly. Turn onto your side before gently sitting up.