When you are sitting at home or even at work, these breathing techniques are perfect for taking a quick, refreshing break. They offer powerful benefits for calming the nerves and refocusing the mind.
If you're looking for specific ways to boost your calm and focus, check out our article on breathing exercises to boost calm and focus.
Breathing Techniques Overview
Cardiac Coherence
- How it works: Slow breathing at 5 breaths per minute (inhale 6 s, exhale 6 s) to regulate heart rate variability.
- Reps/Duration: Practice for 5–10 minutes, once or twice daily.
- Benefits: Stabilizes the autonomic nervous system and brings immediate stress relief.
Box Breathing
- How it works: Equal phases of inhale, hold, exhale, hold — each lasting 4 seconds.
- Reps/Duration: Do 4 cycles, repeat up to 3 times (total ~5 minutes).
- Benefits: Builds focus, reduces anxiety, and enhances emotional control.
4–6 Box Breathing
- How it works: Inhale for 4 s, hold for 6 s, exhale for 4 s, hold for 6 s. This variation delays exhale to reinforce calm.
- Reps/Duration: 4–6 cycles (~4 minutes) per session.
- Benefits: Highly effective for reducing acute stress and balancing nervous response.
Lateral Breathing
- How it works: Expand ribs sideways (not belly), hold ribs slightly engaged on inhale, exhale gently.
- Reps/Duration: 10–15 breaths, pause briefly between cycles, repeat 2–3 times.
- Benefits: Increases lung capacity, supports posture, fosters alert calm.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
- How it works: Place one hand on chest, one on abdomen; inhale through the nose filling the diaphragm, exhale through the mouth.
- Reps/Duration: 10 breaths, hold 2 s after each inhale, repeat twice.
- Benefits: Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowers heart rate, reduces tension.
By practicing these techniques, you can experience real benefits, from reducing stress and calming your mind to improving focus. With the BreathInU app, you can easily include them in your day and adjust each session to fit your mood or schedule.
Want to go deeper? Check out our article on Deep Breathing Exercises.
