Breathing Exercises for Stress Relief

Getting Started & Tips

Are you breathing? Of course we are, but how aware are you of it? Breathe in deeply, then exhale slowly. You might feel a difference in your body or mood just from this simple act. Practicing breathing exercises is a simple and powerful way to relieve stress, clear your thoughts, and increase mindfulness. Use these techniques as a daily routine, or as a mental break when you need relief.

Before you begin, here are some tips to help you:

• Get into a comfortable position. You might choose to lie on your bed, stand in your living room, or sit in a comfortable chair. Loosen any clothing that would restrict your breathing. If you're sitting or standing, place both feet flat on the ground, roughly hip-width apart.
• Close your eyes, and take notice of your normal breathing. Does it seem fast or slow? Are your breaths deep or shallow?
• Stay present as you do the exercises. If your attention wanders, gently refocus on your breath.
• Experiment with different breathing techniques.
• Try to set a daily routine of breathing exercises to get the most benefit.

Equal breathing

Position: sitting or lying down, with spine lengthened and chest open

1. Close your eyes and draw your attention to the way you breathe normally.
2. After several normal breaths, inhale through your nose and slowly count from one to four.
3. Exhale for four counts.
4. Be mindful of the fullness and emptiness in your lungs as you breathe in and out.

Belly breathing

Position: sitting or lying down, with spine lengthened and chest open

1. Place one hand just below your ribs on your belly. Place your other hand on your chest.
2. Imagine there is a balloon inside your belly. Breathe in, filling the balloon, and allow your belly to push your hand out. Your chest should remain still.
3. Exhale through pursed lips. Use your belly to release all the air from your lungs.
4. Breathe fully into your belly as it rises and falls with your breath.
5. Repeat for 3-10 breath cycles.

Optional: while lying down, put a stuffed animal on your belly. Make the toy move up as you breathe in, and bring it back down on the exhale.

4-7-8 breathing

Position: sitting or lying down, with spine lengthened and chest open

1. Place one hand just below your ribs on your belly. Place your other hand on your chest.
2. Breathe slowly from your belly for four counts.
3. Hold the breath for seven counts.
4. Exhale for eight counts, trying to empty your lungs completely.
5. Repeat for 3-10 breath cycles.

Morning breathing

Position: standing, with spine lengthened and chest open

1. With your knees slightly bent, bend forward from the waist and allow your arms to hang.
2. Inhale slowly and roll your spine back up to a standing position, lifting your head last.
3. Hold your breath in standing position for four counts.
4. Slowly exhale as you bend forward from the waist again.
5. Repeat for 3-10 breath cycles.

Progressive muscle relaxation

Position: sitting, with spine lengthened and chest open

1. Close your eyes. Breathe slowly and deeply. Beginning with your feet and toes, think about muscle groups in your body and focus of constricting and relaxing them for 2–3 seconds each.
2. Move up through your legs, chest, arms, hands, neck, jaw, and eyes.

Alternate nostril breathing

Position: sitting, with spine lengthened and chest open

1. Close your eyes, inhaling and exhaling through your nose.
2. As you inhale, use your finger to close the right nostril and inhale slowly through the left nostril.
3. Gently pinch your nose closed, holding the breath in for a moment.
4. Use your finger to close your left nostril and exhale through the right, waiting for a moment before you inhale again.
5. Inhale slowly through the right nostril.
6. Pinch your nose closed again, pausing for a moment.
7. Now, open the left side and exhale, waiting a moment before you inhale again.
8. Repeat for up to 10 breath cycles.

Breath Focus

Position: sitting, standing, or lying down, with spine lengthened and chest open

1. With your eyes closed, take in a few deep breaths through your nose.
2. As you inhale, imagine the air you breath is filled with calm and peace.
3. As you breathe out, imagine the breath is carrying your stress and anxiety away from you.
4. Choose a word like peace, calm, happiness, or safe to focus on with your next inhalation.
5. Continue breathing in the focus word and breathing out negative thoughts.
6. Repeat for 5-20 minutes.

Optional: instead of a focus word, choose a calming color, or visualize a peaceful scene (ocean waves, a field of flowers, trees swaying in the breeze, etc.).

Breathing with Shapes

Print out the various shapes below and follow the instructions for each breathing exercise!

Heart

• Begin at the bottom of the heart.
• Breathe in for three counts as you trace up the left side.
• Breathe out for three counts as you trace down the right side.
• Continue tracing around the heart several times.

Triangle

• Begin at the bottom left of the triangle.
• Breathe in for three counts as you trace the first side of the triangle.
• Hold your breath for three counts as you trace the second side of the triangle.
• Breathe out for three counts as you trace the final side of the triangle. Continue tracing around the triangle several times.

Square Breathing

• Begin at the bottom left of the square.
• Breathe in for four counts as you trace the first side of the square.
• Hold your breath for four counts as you trace the second side of the square.
• Breathe out for four counts as you trace the third side of the square.
• Hold your breath for four counts as you trace the last side of the square. Continue tracing around the square several times.

Flower

• Begin in the center of the flower.
• Breathe in for three counts as you trace the first petal.
• Hold your breath for three counts as you trace the second petal.
• Breathe out for three counts as you trace the next petal. Continue tracing around the flower several times.

Cloud

• Begin on the left side of the cloud.
• Breathe in for three counts as you trace the first curve.
• Hold your breath for three counts as you trace the second curve.
• Breathe out for three counts as you trace the next curve. Continue tracing around the cloud several times.

Hexagon

• Begin on the left side of the hexagon.
• Trace your finger over the "breathe in" side as you take a deep breath in.
• Hold your breath as you trace the second side of the hexagon.
• Breathe out as you trace the third side of the hexagon.
• Then repeat for the bottom part of the hexagon.
• Continue tracing around the hexagon several times.

Hand

If you can’t print out the shapes or trace on screen, you can use your own hand!

• Hold up one hand with your palm facing out, and fingers spread apart (like you are raising your hand to say “hi”).
• Beginning at the base of your right thumb, use the pointer finger of your other hand to trace around your fingers. Breath in while your finger moves up the outside of your thumb, then breathe out as you trace the inside.
• Repeat this for each finger.