6 Breathing Exercises to Get You Through Your Next Stressful Situation

Best Breathing Techniques to Stay Calm

Let’s face it, stressful situations arise almost every single day. And at some point, you’ve probably had someone tell you to “just chill out” or “take a breath and relax.” For some reason, those statements never seem to make the situation better. But the actual act of taking a breath does help you relax or “chill out.” Below, we’re sharing six breathing exercises to help you find a sense of calm whenever you may need it.

If you’re looking for quick stress relievers, make sure you check out this post too!

#1) Deep Abdominal Breathing

This breathing technique is the most effective for taking control of your nervous system for most people. Remember that everyone is different. So, if this doesn’t feel comfortable or like it works for you, try a different breathing technique. Some of the benefits of deep abdominal breathing include reduced heart rate, lower or stabilized blood pressure, reduced stress hormones, more relaxation, and an increase in how much oxygen is in your blood.

How To

Step 1

Sit up straight in a comfortable position or lay down on your back. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.

Step 2

Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Feel your hand on your abdomen rise with each breath.

Step 3

Try to breathe in as much air as possible to expand the abdomen and allow more fresh oxygen.

#2) Stimulating Breath or Bellows Breath

This type of breathing increases energy, heightens awareness, and helps bring clarity to your mind. It’s also called Bhastrika and can be performed in a few different ways (depending on what website you’re on), but we’re sharing the instructions given to us by the experts at Miraval on our recent team retreat.

How To

Step 1

Sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor. Start breathing through your nose quickly, leaving your mouth closed but relaxed.

Step 2

Try to complete a cycle of 3 breaths in and 3 breaths out every second. Resume normal breathing after finishing each cycle. Continue this process for up to 15 seconds.

Tip: The duration of your inhale and exhale should be short, but equal.

#3) Equal Breathing or Sama Vritti

Equal breathing or Sama Vritti is a yoga breathing exercise that is very calming. This is a great exercise to try if you get stressed right before bed because it’s said to improve sleep. This equal balance counting will reset your natural breathing, soothe the nervous system, and decrease stress.

How To

Step 1

Get into a comfortable position, either sitting up straight or lying down.

Step 2

Start breathing in and out through your nose while counting to 4 each time. Really focus on just the breath and letting go of all the other thoughts in your mind.

Step 3

Once you master the 4-second breaths, try higher counts like 6 or 8 for each breath.

#4) 4-7-8 Breathing or Relaxing Breath

This is probably a breathing exercise you’ve heard of before and we think it’s the easiest to implement in a stressful situation. Many of our team members use it when we’re feeling overwhelmed or even angry. It calms the nervous system and reduces anxiety.

How To

Step 1

Completely exhale through your mouth.

Step 2

Close your mouth and quietly inhale through your nose for a count of 4.

Step 3

Hold in the air for a count of 7.

Step 4

Breath out through your mouth for a count of 8, creating an audible sound.

Step 5

Repeat the cycle 4 times.

#5) Progressive Relaxation

This is a technique used to help you relax from head to toe. If you don’t have time to do this for your whole body, focus on the one area you’re feeling the most tension in that stressful situation, like your shoulders for example, and complete the exercise from there.

How To

Step 1

Start breathing slowly and deeply through your nose.

Step 2

Breathe in and tense the muscles in your feet.

Step 3

Breathe out and release the tension in your feet.

Step 4

Breathe in and tense the calf muscles.

Step 5

Breathe out and release the tension in your calf muscles.

Step 6

Work your way up your body.

#6) Breath Counting

This is a great place to start if you’re new to breathing techniques. The act of counting helps you stay focused on your breathing while allowing you to relax your body.

How To

Step 1

Get into a comfortable position, either sitting up straight or lying down.

Step 2

Breathe in deeply a few times and then breathe out naturally. This should be slow and silent breathing.

Step 3

While exhaling, count 1.

Step 4

Inhale, exhale, and count 2.

Step 5

Continue inhaling, exhaling, and counting upwards to 5.

Step 6

Complete as many cycles of this as you feel necessary for relaxation.

There are tons of meditation apps out there and if you’re interested in breathwork or practicing these breathing techniques, you’re sure to find them on apps like Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer, or whatever app you prefer. Erin also loves Denise Cooper for breathwork if you’re further along on your journey.

Do you have any questions? Do you use breathing techniques when you’re stressed? Let us know in the comments below!

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1

Alissa - Social Media Manager

It's all too easy for me to get carried away with my own mental checklist of things to do, and I often find myself feeling overwhelmed and bogged down by the pressure of it all. The practice of "mindfulness" was highlighted at Miraval, and it's easily one of my biggest takeaways. Mindfulness is defined as simply bringing awareness and acceptance to our moment-to-moment experiences. To practice it, I have been focusing on being more mindful of my everyday experiences. Whether it's reflecting on everything I am grateful for as I cozy into bed at night, breathing in the fresh air outside as I notice the sights and sounds around me, or simply standing in my kitchen appreciating the smell of delicious homemade food with the sound of my kids' laughter echoing in the background. Taking the time to be more mindful has made such a difference in pulling me out of the grind and into the moment with a deeper appreciation for where I am.

2

Susan - Digital Content Editor

There were many poignant takeaways from the retreat, but if I had to choose just one it would be the importance of accepting transitions in life. As someone who really doesn’t love change, this is difficult for me. But recognizing transitions are inevitable and trying to find the positive in them has been eye-opening and has taught me to reframe my thoughts about change. This pretty much leads to the one habit I’m implementing fairly consistently (still a work in progress!) which involves rethinking my reaction to stress or anxiety…even if it’s something small. At Miraval, we learned that even small (seemingly relatively innocent) little stressors can together have a BIG impact in terms of our happiness and the negativity we carry around in a day. If I start to get anxious about something, I can control the feelings by doing one of these things: breathe/meditate for one minute, change my thinking pattern, listen to music, walk or move briskly. Basically, just change what I’m doing to temporarily step back and gain some perspective. I can ask myself, “Am I giving this “problem” more weight than it deserves?” Essentially, I’m distracting myself from the negativity and choosing to focus on something more positive. I’ve learned there is always something positive to focus on if I choose to find it! So, I try to catch myself before I go down the negative rabbit hole.

3

Denise – YouTube Co-Producer

Since returning from our team retreat at Miraval, I have been doing a deep dive into habits. Research has shown that those who create a new “small” habit often have a larger ripple effect in their lives, even more than those who try to implement a larger change. At Miraval, we attended a session that focused on brain health. One of the small takeaways from this session was that the body needs to be hydrated in order to function most efficiently. We have all heard this before…drinking 8 glasses of water a day is in no way new advice, but for some reason, something in this lecture gave me the motivation to try and shift from virtually zero glasses a day to the recommended amount of 8. I’m a diehard Diet Snapple, coffee, and Diet Lemonade girl! Upon returning home, I bought myself a new water bottle, started filling it each morning, and brought it up to my desk. Without even realizing it, I found myself emptying the 32 oz bottle 2 and sometimes 3 times per day. Within a week, the changes I felt (more moisturized skin, less hunger, a more settled stomach) were undeniable. The same research also shows that once you develop a habit, it is easy to “habit stack”. This means you can add on more habits to existing ones and that is exactly what I did. I have moved my vitamins and supplements to my desk which I now take daily because I have the water sitting right next to me. As an added bonus, I am also consuming a ton less artificial sweeteners and caffeine now that I am reaching for my water. If you’re interested in diving deeper into information about habits, I’m currently reading The Power of Habit and Atomic Habits, both linked below.

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4

Joy – Virtual Assistant

While at Miraval, we took a class about intuitive living and one of the principles was to “Be Clueless.” Which just means that you should choose not to give power to the thinking mind. Instead, practice being clueless by enhancing your senses and connecting to them. One habit I have adopted since the retreat is going outside each day after work and sitting in silence for 15 minutes. I set the timer on my phone, close my eyes, and just listen. Once I've heard 10-15 unique sounds, I then open my eyes and finish out the 15 minutes looking around but remaining silent. It's been a wonderful calming way to transition out of my work brain. And I’m giving more power to my senses than to my thinking mind.

5

Rachel – Community Manager

The Team Retreat was something I was looking forward to for months, yet as we got closer and closer to it, I began to feel nervous and unsure of what was to come - anxious feelings that I get with anything new, no matter how exciting it may be. Well, this retreat was, first of all… AMAZING. It was wonderful to be in a beautiful place, to get pampered, to meet and connect with the most amazing team of women, and to simply have a break from the craziness of everyday life… but the best part of it all was what I took home with me. During this short time, I was able to learn so many helpful practices that have truly changed my own well-being and ability to connect with the world around me. The overall theme of the Miraval journey is to focus on and implement mindfulness and balance. Before this week, I thought I was practicing this in my daily life…but boy was I wrong! One particular practice that I have loved adding to my routine, is that of Mindful Eating. The question was posed in a group session at Miraval, “Are you tasting your food or just your thoughts?” Often when I sit down to have a meal, I’ll look at my phone, try to get work done, watch a show, or simply try to eat as quickly as I can to get on to the next task of my day. Without ever thinking about the food I'm eating, only thinking about whatever else is going on inside of my head. But this practice allows you to slow down and truly enjoy. The simple act of placing your fork on the table in between bites forces you to physically move slower and gives you the space to focus on and savor the food that you are consuming. As soon as I heard this, I thought it would be an easy thing to add to my routine every day. Even better…Every single meal could be mindful and what a difference that could make! Well, reality sets in once you return home from a place like Miraval, and the to-do list comes right back. But we were reminded that even one Mindful Meal a week can make such a difference. And how true that has proven to be!

6

Kaitlyn - Digital Strategy Manager

I’m extremely hard on myself…Even when it’s pretty unwarranted. I think many women can relate to that. Deciding to skip a workout, not getting to everything on my to-do list for the day, or forgetting to pick up the dry cleaning are all simple (and usually inconsequential) things that make me start that negative inner monologue about not being “insert adjective here” enough. If this sounds familiar…you’re not alone! One of the tools I learned during our Mindful Stress Mastery class at Miraval is something I’ve started implementing and can already tell makes a difference. When that negative inner monologue starts, put your right hand over your chest or stomach and place your left hand on your forearm. When you do it, say “gentle” in your head or out loud as a reminder to be gentle with yourself. Touch is such a strong sense and when you give yourself that small reminder, it can make a huge impact.