5 Techniques to reduce your anxiety immediately
Feeling anxious lately?
You’re not alone. Anxiety has become a common experience for many, especially for parents of teenagers juggling family life, work, and the pressures of today’s fast-paced world. When stress hits, it can feel like everything is spiralling out of control. But here’s a simple truth: your breath holds the power to calm that storm.
In this post, I will walk you through five simple yet powerful breathing techniques that can help you manage anxiety naturally. Whether you’re new to anxiety relief or looking to add more tools to your wellness toolkit, these techniques are easy to learn, quick to practice, and scientifically proven to work.
Understanding Anxiety
Anxiety is a natural response to stress, but it can become overwhelming when it starts interfering with daily life. For parents, especially those managing the ups and downs of raising teenagers, anxiety can appear at unexpected moments. Maybe it’s worrying about your child’s well-being, dealing with the demands of family life, or trying to balance work stress with responsibilities at home.
Common Symptoms of Anxiety:
Racing heart
Tight chest
Restless thoughts
Difficulty concentrating
These symptoms often come with an overwhelming feeling of “what if”—where the mind runs through every possible worst-case scenario. While anxiety can feel frustrating and draining, it’s important to remember that you’re not powerless. You can take simple, actionable steps to soothe your body and mind when anxiety appears. And one of the most powerful, natural ways to do this is through breathing techniques.
5 Breathing Techniques for Anxiety Relief
These techniques will help calm the nervous system and shift your body out of fight-or-flight mode. You don’t need any special equipment—just a few quiet moments and your breath.
1. Humming Bee Breath (Bhramari Pranayama)
Bhramari, or Humming Bee Breath, is a calming breathing technique that involves creating a gentle humming sound while exhaling. This soothing sound helps block out mental distractions and promotes relaxation.
How to Do It:
Sit comfortably with your spine straight and shoulders relaxed.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose.
As you exhale, make a low humming sound, like the buzzing of a bee, keeping your mouth closed.
Focus on the vibration created by the hum in your head and throat.
Repeat for 5–7 breaths, or longer if desired.
Why It Helps: The vibrations from the humming sound activate the vagus nerve, which can help calm the nervous system and reduce stress. This technique is especially effective for creating a sense of inner peace and focus.
2. Buteyko Breathing Technique
Developed in the 1950s by Dr. Konstantin Buteyko, this method is often used for those with breathing difficulties but is equally effective for anxiety.
How to Do It:
Sit comfortably and breathe normally for a few moments.
Take a gentle breath in through your nose, followed by a gentle breath out.
After exhaling, pinch your nose shut and hold your breath until you feel the first urge to breathe again.
When you need to breathe, release your nose and inhale softly through your nose.
Breathe normally for a minute before repeating the cycle.
Why It Helps: The Buteyko method encourages reduced breathing, which retrains the body’s breathing patterns. This technique can reduce symptoms of hyperventilation, a common response to anxiety, and promote a calm, steady breathing rhythm.
3. Coherent Breathing (Resonant Breathing)
Resonant breathing, also known as coherent breathing, involves breathing at a steady rate of 5–6 breaths per minute. Studies have shown that this practice promotes balance in the body and helps relieve stress.
How to Do It:
Inhale slowly for 5–6 seconds.
Exhale gently for the same count.
Continue this pattern for 10 minutes.
Why It Helps: Coherent breathing synchronises your heart rate and breathing patterns, which has a calming effect on the body. It’s a great practice to use when you feel anxiety building up gradually or if you want a daily calming exercise.
4. Pursed Lip Breathing
This technique is simple yet effective, especially if your anxiety feels like it’s tightening your chest. Pursed lip breathing helps slow your breathing down and makes it easier to manage.
How to Do It:
Inhale deeply through your nose.
Purse your lips (like you’re going to whistle) and exhale slowly and steadily through your lips.
Take twice as long to exhale as you did to inhale.
Repeat as needed until you feel calmer.
Why It Works: By focusing on a long exhale, pursed lip breathing helps reduce shortness of breath, calms the nervous system, and reduces the physical symptoms of anxiety.
5. Visualised Breath Counting
This technique combines focused breathing with visualisation and counting, helping to centre your mind and calm your body.
How to Do It:
Sit comfortably and close your eyes.
As you inhale deeply through your nose, visualise the number “1” in your mind.
Exhale slowly and fully, then visualise the number “2” on your next inhale.
Continue this cycle, visualising the next number with each breath, until you reach 10.
Once you reach 10, start over from 1 if you’d like to continue for more cycles.
Why It Helps: Visualised Breath Counting provides both structure and focus, which helps interrupt anxious thoughts. The counting combined with visualisation keeps your mind engaged in a calming way, creating a “mental reset” that can soothe anxiety.
How can you uses these Techniques into Daily Life?
For parents, especially those managing the ups and downs of raising teenagers, anxiety can sneak in at unexpected moments. Whether it's your teen going through a rough patch, the daily stress of family life, or the pressure of balancing it all, these breathing techniques can help you stay grounded.
In fact, I had a client—a working mom of two teens—who told me she started practicing diaphragmatic breathing during her lunch breaks. She’d sneak in a few minutes of breathing before picking up the kids from school. Over time, she noticed she felt calmer and more patient, even when things got hectic at home. It’s these small moments of self-care that add up, making a huge difference in how we cope with anxiety.
Schedule a time in your diary to practise these techniques as eventually it will turn to a habit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How often should I practice these breathing techniques?
It’s ideal to practice one or more of these techniques daily. Regular practice helps train your body to respond more calmly in stressful situations. Start with 5–10 minutes a day and increase as you feel comfortable.
2. Are these techniques safe for teenagers to try?
Yes, these techniques are safe and beneficial for teenagers as well. In fact, they can be helpful tools for teens dealing with school stress or social anxiety. Encourage them to practice alongside you or at their own pace.
3. Can these techniques help me sleep better?
Absolutely. Techniques like coherent breathing and visualised breath counting are especially helpful before bed, as they activate the body’s relaxation response and can reduce restlessness.
4. Can I use these techniques if I feel a panic attack coming on?
Yes, these techniques can be effective during panic attacks. Pursed lip breathing and visualised breath counting are particularly helpful for calming rapid breathing and racing thoughts, helping you regain control.
Why Breathing Matters for Anxiety
Breathing techniques are powerful because they’re so simple and accessible. You don’t need a special setting, equipment, or a lot of time. By integrating them into your daily routine, you give yourself a reliable tool to combat anxiety before it overwhelms you.
Start by practicing one of these techniques each day—whether it’s during your morning coffee, while your teenager is at soccer practice, or right before bed. Over time, you’ll notice how much more resilient you feel when stressors pop up.
If you're interested in exploring more tips for managing anxiety or need a deeper dive into these techniques, check out my free anxiety relief guide or visit the other anxiety-focused blogs on my website for more practical advice.
