Harnessing the Power of Deep Breathing to Regulate Emotions
The first time someone advised me to "just breathe," I was sitting in my doctor’s office at 18 years old, gripped by my first-ever panic attack. Convinced I was dying, I internally rolled my eyes at my doctor and scoffed at their suggestion.
Looking back now, I realize how wrong I was to dismiss deep breathing as a way to calm down and help manage anxiety and overwhelm. Over the years, I’ve learned that controlled, diaphragmatic breathing is an effective way to both calm down in the moment, and give us more confidence to regulate our emotions overall. Let’s explore why deep breathing is so effective and how you can incorporate it into your daily life.
How Deep Breathing Works
To understand why deep breathing is such an effective tool, let’s look at how our nervous system regulates emotions.
The Role of the Nervous System
Our autonomic nervous system operates like an invisible control panel that manages involuntary functions like heartbeat and digestion. It’s divided into two key parts:
The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)
Often referred to as the "fight, flight, or freeze" system, the SNS kicks in during stressful situations, like hitting a gas pedal to prepare your body for action. It primes your body by accelerating your heart rate, increasing alertness, and causing faster, shallower breathing. This system is essential when we’re in danger, but can sometimes be activated in situations where it is not necessary for our survival.The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS)
In contrast, the PNS acts as your "rest and digest" system, promoting relaxation and recovery. Deep, controlled breathing stimulates the PNS by engaging the vagus nerve, a crucial pathway connecting your brain to key organs like your heart and gut. Activating this system is like gently pressing the brakes after your SNS has pushed the gas pedal.
The Benefits of Deep Breathing
Engaging in diaphragmatic breathing—a technique involving slow, deep breaths that expand the belly rather than the chest—offers an array of benefits:
Immediate Stress Relief: Studies show that controlled breathing can significantly reduce anxiety, helping you feel calmer in tense moments. It’s so effective because it decreases sympathetic activation—the part of your nervous system responsible for those stress-filled fight, flight, or freeze feelings. By calming your body on a physiological level, deep breathing naturally leads to a sense of psychological ease, making it easier to navigate those tough moments.
Chronic Stress Management: Making deep breathing a regular habit can reduce overall stress levels. You can see the benefits in measurable ways, like lower heart and breathing rates, and reduced blood pressure. Plus, it might even help reduce oxidative stress after a tough workout, giving your body an extra boost in recovery.
Improved Physical Health: Deep breathing might even have an impact at the genetic level. Some studies suggest that controlled breathing can influence how certain genes behave—specifically, the ones involved in energy metabolism, insulin secretion, and how our immune system responds.
But how do you breathe diaphragmatically? Let’s break it down.
How to Practice Deep Breathing
While the process is simple, it can feel unnatural at first. Here’s a step-by-step guide to mastering diaphragmatic breathing, along with some tips to enhance your experience.
Basic Technique
An effective way to use deep breathing
Find a Comfortable Position
Start by sitting upright in a chair or lying down on a flat surface. For beginners, lying down can make it easier to focus on abdominal movement, and take a full deep breath.Place Your Hands
Put one hand on your chest and the other on your belly, just below your ribcage. This helps you monitor your breathing pattern.Inhale Slowly Through Your Nose
Breathe in for about four seconds, allowing the air to fill your belly. You should feel your abdomen rise while your chest remains mostly still (a little chest movement is normal).Pause Briefly
Hold your breath for one to two seconds. This momentary pause enhances your control and slows the overall breathing process.Exhale Gently Through Your Mouth
Slowly release the breath over four seconds. Focus on fully emptying your lungs and feel your belly contract.Rest Before Repeating
Wait for a second or two before taking your next breath. Aim for a natural, unhurried rhythm. It’s ok if this feels awkward at first!
If you prefer to have a visual guide try out this video demonstrating effective deep breathing. Alternatively, there are a number of apps out there and smartwatch programs to help guide you.
Advanced Techniques
4-7-8 Breathing: Inhale for four seconds, hold for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds. This method deepens relaxation and might be best used at bedtime.
Box Breathing: Inhale, hold, exhale, and pause for 4 seconds each.
Practical Tips for Success
Practice in Calm Moments
It can be tough to start building any new skill when we are overwhelmed or in a highly anxious state. Building familiarity with the technique during calm periods makes it easier to use when we are feeling more stressed.
Use Visual and Tactile Aids
Place a lightweight object like a book on your belly. Watching and feeling it rise and fall can help you find a comfortable rhythm. If you have a smartwatch many of them have a program to do guided breathing exercises which may help you stay focused and find an even rhythm.
Seek Support for Muscle Tension
Some of us carry our stress in our muscles, and end up with chronic tightness in certain parts of our bodies. You might notice tightness in your diaphragm or the surrounding muscles that makes it uncomfortable to take a full deep breath. A massage therapist or physiotherapist might be able to help you with that tension, making deep breathing more comfortable.
Set Realistic Goals
Begin with short sessions - 2-5 minutes. As it becomes more natural, you can extend the duration. Remember, deep breathing won’t make emotions go away, if done successfully it may help decrease the intensity of anxiety or overwhelm. When we first start practicing this may mean we may only notice emotional intensity decrease 5-10%.
Be Kind with Yourself
It’s ok if you feel awkward or even silly trying out deep breathing! This is a new skill and it takes time and practice to get good at most new things we try. It’s also ok if through this practice you learn that deep breathing isn’t for you. It’s one of many tools that can help to regulate emotions and increase our capacity to tolerate big emotions, and there may be other tools that are a better fit for you.
Sometimes your social circle isn’t enough
When to Seek Professional Help
While deep breathing can be a powerful self-care tool, there are times when therapy for managing emotions might be necessary. If you’re often feeling overwhelmed or are having difficulty coping with daily life, it might be time to reach out to a counsellor. Online therapy can be a convenient and accessible way to receive emotional support and learn additional techniques for handling overwhelming feelings.
Therapists often use breathing exercises as a foundational practice while addressing deeper issues related to trauma, depression, or anxiety. Combining these techniques with counselling can bring you relief and help you feel more empowered to handle tough emotions on your own.
Struggling with anxiety, stress, or emotional overwhelm?
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