5 Quick Breathing Techniques for Stress

Many leaders live very busy lives with packed schedules and many people that rely on them to be present and calm, even when it is difficult to do so. Research has shown that ignoring our mental health and "powering through" during stressful situations does not help make the situation easier or end the stress response. In fact, the more we push through a situation that is uncomfortable, we begin to accumulate stress exponentially, sometimes to the point of a breakdown. And if you are truly looking to maintain stability and productivity, a breakdown will afford the complete opposite response.

Despite what our society and professional culture tells us, the best way to stay balanced in your mood, is to be consistent with your self-care and mindfulness practices. For some, this may be as radical as meditating for multiple hours a day; for others it might mean maintaining a yoga practice every day (even if it is only 15 min); or maybe this simply means being aware of your body and your feelings and knowing when they are telling you to slow down. One of the easiest, quickest, and most discreet ways of doing this is using breathing techniques.

In the past ten years or so--especially since the pandemic started--, meditation and breathing exercises have seen a boom in popularity, with hundreds of techniques available to use for free online. In some ways, the over-abundance of different techniques can be overwhelming. Also, if you are in a crunch and need something that will work within 2 minutes, you may not want to use the same technique you use during your twenty-minute meditation session. Determining which breathing exercise is best for the moment, can be difficult to decide on, possibly producing more unnecessary stress. Here are five quick techniques, listed by length of time needed to perform them:

#1: Candle Breathing- 10 seconds-2 minutes

This technique is one of the easiest and quickest ways to engage your parasympathetic nervous system--the part of our nervous system that slows down the natural flight-or-fight response inside of our body. If you feel the tension building in your body (maybe you start to sweat more, clench certain muscles, or you feel like you have a fever), the best way to calm yourself down is to become aware of and engage with your breathing. Some people may hold their breath, while others might feel their breathing get shallower and quicker. Either way, it is important to note when these changes happen so that you can quickly adjust.

The Candle Breathing technique is easy to do, and can be done anywhere in any position (even while walking, if necessary). There are four simple steps to follow:

1. Breathe out all of the air from your lungs.
2. Breathe in deeply, through your nostrils only.
3. Purse your lips as if you were going to blow out a candle while breathing out all of the air from your lungs (should make a quiet shhhing sound).
4. Hold for one second, then repeat as many times as necessary.

You can perform this technique anytime you feel yourself getting stressed or anxious, and it should almost immediately start to lower your heart rate and balance your mood. Many healers and researchers, including Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. (author of The Body Keeps the Score), have described how breathing is our easiest and most powerful tool to control our stress response and let go of anxiety. Specifically, the effort of breathing out all of your air from your mouth, tells your body that you are safe enough to slow down, and that you do not need to breathe quickly in order to run or fight.

#2: Bee Breathing (bhramari)- 20 seconds-2 minutes

Bee breathing, or Humming Breathing, is another simple, yet effective way to calm down your own nervous system. The technique works particularly well if you use it after the stressful moment has passed, and you are trying to bring your body back to baseline calm. I highly recommend doing this exercise while seated, with your eyes closed, as it will allow you to truly experience the sensation of humming within your chest. You may want to find a quiet and private room where you will not be disturbed, as you will be making noise.

Bee Breathing engages your mental and physical being, allowing you to feel more grounded in the moment. Use these easy steps:

1. Find a comfortable, private place to sit. Keep your back as straight as possible.
2. Breath normally for about 10 seconds, simply engaging your senses (what can you see, hear, feel, etc.?)
3. While letting all of your breath out of your nose, close your eyes.
4. Take a deep breath in through your nose to the count of ten.
5. As you slowly breathe out of your nostrils, keep your lips closed, and the tongue touching the roof of your mouth, while letting out a humming noise for the entire length of the out-breath. The sound should imitate the buzzing of a bee.
6. Repeat the practice as many times as feels necessary.
7. Keeping your eyes closed, return back to your normal breathing pattern for another 5-10 seconds before opening your eyes.

This technique takes a bit more concentration and engagement, but can be incredibly grounding if you are experiencing anxiety or feeling disconnected from the body. As you are humming, you may notice the vibration of your teeth, cheeks, and nasal bones. This sensation can release tension from the jaw and face while also acting as a point of focus to reconnect with your body.

#3: Square Breathing- 30 seconds-2 minutes

Square Breathing or Box Breathing is a technique popularized by Brené Brown in her book Dare to Lead. This strategy is widely regarded as a great way to regulate your breathing patterns and find a calm baseline. I highly recommend this technique to anyone experiencing stress during a difficult situation. The best part about Square Breathing is that you can do it nearly invisibly to anyone around you as it so closely mimics our natural breathing patterns. There is also evidence that engaging in Square Breathing when in the middle of a heated discussion, will not only regulate your own breathing and mood, but also regulate the person you are arguing with.

Another simple technique, Square Breathing can be accomplished in five easy steps:

1. Breathe in through your nostrils to the count of four (1, 2, 3, 4).
2. Hold your full breath for four more counts.
3. Release your breath through your nostrils to the count of four.
4. Hold your empty breath for four counts.
5. Repeat as many times as is necessary.

Aptly named, Square Breathing, when visualized as an object, looks like a square with four even sides. It works for both people who forget to breathe or have accelerated breathing during stressful situations. It can be done as a meditation technique, or simply as a way to calm yourself down during an important meeting.

#4: Lion's Breath (simhasana)- 2 minutes-5 minutes

Lion's Breath is another breathing exercise that requires a little more concentration and time. Lion's Breath is often accompanied by specific mediation poses and is therefore recommended to be done on the floor in a private room. However, even practicing just the breathing technique while seated in a chair, can still be incredibly effective. This technique is best done after a stressful event has passed, and can be useful for releasing tension in the jaw.

In order to do the Lion's Breath technique, take these steps:

1. Find a seated position that is comfortable for you. Typically cross-legged (easy pose) or sitting on your knees (hero's pose) are the best positions for this technique.
2. Place your hands in your knees and relax your shoulders back and down, opening up the chest.
3. Breath out through your nose.
4. Take a deep breath in your nostrils.
5. Breath out through your open mouth, releasing a "ha" sound as if you were breathing steam onto glass.
6. Repeat this again, except this time you will drop your jaw down farther and stick out your tongue, pointing it downwards. At the same time, look upwards towards the ceiling, almost as if you are stretching your face in opposite directions.
7. Repeat as many times as is necessary.

Keep in mind while doing this technique that you may create more tension in the neck and shoulders, but by keeping your shoulder blades relaxed down your back and being careful not to stick your neck too far forward, you can avoid this. By opening up your jaw and breathing out with intention, you are releasing tension in the jaw, neck, and chest and allowing your body to relax.

#5: Alternate Nostril Breathing (nadi shodhana pranayama) - 2 minutes-10 minutes

My personal favorite breathing technique is Alternate Nostril Breathing. This technique is the most complicated to follow out of all five listed, and can be a little confusing at first, but once you have the rhythm down you may experience some soothing relaxation. As you may have guessed by the name, Alternate Nostril Breathing focuses on breathing in and out of alternating nostrils. This practice helps to regulate and slow down the breathing, while also balancing the energy from both sides of the brain. By focusing on one nostril at a time, you can isolate your focus to each side of the brain, encouraging your body to regulate between action-based thoughts and a calm state of mind.

To do Alternate Nostril Breathing, take these steps:

1. Take a seated position.
2. While breathing naturally, slowly close your eyes or bring a soft focus to something in front of you.
3. Pay attention to your breathing as it is (noticing how long your inhale and exhale are, how deep you are breathing, etc.) for at least two breathing cycles.
4. On your right hand, fold your pointer and middle fingers into your palm so that only your thumb, ring finger, and little finger are still erect.
5. Place the thumb on the right nostril, sealing it. Take a deep breath into your left nostril.
6. Squeeze both nostrils shut, using the thumb on the right side, and your ring finger on the left nostril. Hold the breath for two counts.
7. Release the thumb from your right nostril, opening it up. Slowly breathe out completely from your right nostril.
8. Once the breath is released, hold again for a count of two.
9. Breathe back in through the right nostril. Hold.
10. Close the right nostril with the thumb while releasing the left nostril with your ring finger.
11. Breathe out through the left nostril. Hold.
12. Repeat this process about 10 times (five times per nostril).

As noted before, this technique can be a bit more complicated than the other ones listed above. If you are struggling with this technique, I recommend the video linked above where you can watch someone perform the technique first. After you finish, you should hopefully feel a sense of balance and relief. This practice can also be combined with other breathing techniques to invoke a variety of results.

Each technique listed here engages different parts of the brain and works differently for different people. When starting to use breathing techniques, I highly recommend trying out a few different styles and finding one or two that work for you. Some people prefer a technique they can do while in the middle of a meeting and others want a more intentional experience. There is no right or wrong way to breath, but it is important to note that breathing is the best naturally-occurring and fast-acting way to calm yourself down during stress or anxiety. Even without being an experienced meditator, anyone can practice mindfulness through breathing exercises.