Young woman lies down to practice diaphragmatic breathing exercises to help with her anxiety.

Get Started With Deep Breathing To Reduce Anxiety

05/17/21 Resolutions - Mind , General Health & Wellness , Healthy Tips & Resources

If you’re interested in breathing exercises to help reduce your anxiety and improve your lung function, we have just the thing for you. This step-by-step guide to deep breathing exercises is the tool you need to get started on this journey to relaxation. Soon enough, you’ll be on your way to more advanced breathing techniques.

Focus Yourself With This Step-By-Step Guide to Diaphragmatic Breathing

This step-by-step guide for practicing diaphragmatic breathing works for any skill level. If you’re new to this practice, don’t worry about the longevity of the exercise, but rather focus on the technique you use.

Infographic outlining the steps of diaphragmatic breathing, making sure your stomach moves in and out while your chest remains still.

Benefits of Breathing Exercises

Better stress management
Reduced anxiety
Lowers your heart rate and blood pressure
Improves core muscle stability
Enhances your body’s ability to tolerate intense exercise
Lowers your chance of injury or wearing out your muscles
Encourages full oxygen exchange

Tips to Get Started With Your Breathing Exercises

Do your exercises in the same place every day.
Clear your mind of the things that are stressing you out. Instead, focus on the sounds of your breathing or the environment around you.
Create a routine with this technique. Practice at least once or twice daily, doing the exercises for 10-20 minutes each day.
Don’t place too much pressure on yourself. Breathing exercises are meant to be beneficial and help reduce stress.

Try following this St. Luke’s Health guided breathing exercise to get you started:

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