Breathing is one of the most automatic actions in the human body. It brings oxygen in with each inhale and helps remove carbon dioxide with each exhale. This exchange is essential to keep your body functioning. You don’t have to think about it — but when you do, you unlock one of the simplest ways to help yourself relax.
Breathing isn’t just automatic; it’s also muscular. Each inhale and exhale involves a group of muscles working together.
The diaphragm, a dome-shaped muscle just beneath your lungs, plays the main role. When it contracts, it pulls air into your lungs. Supporting muscles like the intercostals (between your ribs), abdominals, and even some in your neck and chest also help with deeper or more controlled breathing.
When these muscles are more relaxed, your breathing becomes more efficient. And the more steadily you breathe, the more your body and mind relax in return.
Want to go deeper? Discover the Breathing techniques explained article, which includes techniques like Boxing Breathing, Lateral Breathing, and Diaphragmatic Breathing.
Breathwork shows promising benefits for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, with a 2023 meta-analysis finding small to medium positive effects compared to control groups. While more research is needed to fully understand its therapeutic potential, breathing remains an accessible and effective tool to support mental well-being.
Breathing can be your go-to mental reset tool. Whether you’re dealing with stress, anxiety, or just a long day, simple exercises can help you find calm quickly.
Start here with our guide: 5 Breathing Exercises to Boost Calm and Focus. It covers five simple techniques to help you slow down, including Cardiac Coherence and Alternate Nostrils.
Need a deeper pause? Try the article Deep Breathing: A Simple Tool for Rest and Mental Reset to learn how just a few minutes can shift your mood and restore focus.
Yes. Breathing is one of the easiest tools you have — but it’s not the only one.
Relaxation can also come from small actions that help you reconnect with yourself. Simple Ways to Relax Without Overthinking It explores ideas like taking a creative break, doing a puzzle, organizing your space with Ikebana, or going outside to touch grass and reset.
These activities shift your attention, reduce mental noise, and create space to just be.
