Breathing Exercises

Controlled breathing can be very helpful for anxiety, panic disorder, OCD, ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Any time you feel you may have uncontrollable thoughts or emotions, breathing exercises can really help!

Controlled breathing exercises can have many benefits, including: 

• Stress reduction: Controlled breathing can help reduce stress and anxiety by calming the sympathetic nervous system. 

• Pain reduction: Controlled breathing can help reduce the perception of pain. 

• Improved sleep: Controlled breathing can help you fall asleep when used at bedtime. 

• Improved lung health: Controlled breathing can help rid the lungs of stale air and increase oxygen levels. 

• Improved muscle function: Controlled breathing can improve muscle function during exercise and prevent strain. 

• Reduced blood pressure and heart rate: Controlled breathing can lower blood pressure and heart rate. 

• Reduced muscle tension: Controlled breathing can reduce muscle tension, which may help with headaches. 

• Improved immune system: Controlled breathing can improve immune system functioning. 

• Increased physical energy: Controlled breathing can increase physical energy. 

• Increased feelings of calm: Controlled breathing can increase feelings of calm and wellbeing. 

Some of the different types of controlled breathing exercise s include:

• Deep breathing

  Inhale deeply through your nose, and exhale gently through your mouth. You can count to help you breathe regularly. 

• Square breathing

  Inhale, hold your breath, exhale, and hold it again, each for four counts. Repeat for several minutes. 

• Pursed lip breathing

  This exercise helps you slow your breathing and maximize the amount of oxygen that goes in and out of your lungs. 

• Lion's Breath

  This breathwork exercise can be performed on its own or as part of the Lion's Pose in yoga. It can help relieve stress and anxiety, and improve breathing. 

• 4-7-8 breathing

  This exercise is commonly used to reduce stress and anxiety. 

• Box breathing

  This technique can help you control your breaths and reset your nervous system. It can promote relaxation and enhance your focus. 

Research has shown that deep breathing is a highly effective and free intervention for mental health conditions.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9877284/

YouTube is a fantastic resource for free deep breathing guides and here are a few below:

https://youtu.be/lPJAtHWq08k?si=MqLszloO9R688w9r