3 Breathing Techniques to Calm Your Nervous System

When life feels overwhelming or stress takes over, your breath is your most accessible tool. Breathwork — or conscious breathing — helps regulate your nervous system, reduce anxiety, and bring clarity. Whether you have 2 minutes or 20, these techniques can guide you back to calm.

Here are three powerful yet gentle breathing exercises you can try today.

1. Box Breathing (Four-Part Breath)

Best for: Stress relief, grounding before sleep or presentations

How to do it:

• Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds

• Hold your breath for 4 seconds

• Exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds

• Hold again for 4 seconds

• Repeat the cycle for 4–6 rounds

🧘‍♀️ Tip: Visualize drawing a square with your breath to stay focused.

Why it works:
This technique helps balance the autonomic nervous system and calms your heart rate — often used by athletes and even Navy SEALs.

2. Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana)

Best for: Anxiety, emotional balance, mental clarity

How to do it:

• Sit comfortably and use your right thumb to close your right nostril

• Inhale through the left nostril

• Close your left nostril with your ring finger and release your thumb

• Exhale through the right nostril

• Inhale through the right, switch, and exhale through the left

• That’s one cycle — continue for 5–7 rounds

🧘‍♂️ Note: Always start and end with the left nostril.

Why it works:
This breath balances the two hemispheres of the brain and clears energetic channels. It’s deeply soothing for the nervous system and enhances focus.

3. Extended Exhale Breathing

Best for: Calming down quickly, managing panic or overwhelm

How to do it:

• Inhale naturally through the nose for 4 seconds

• Exhale slowly through the mouth for 6 to 8 seconds

• Keep the inhale shorter than the exhale

• Repeat for several minutes until you feel relaxed

Why it works:
A longer exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the "rest and digest" response — which helps your body and mind settle.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a yoga mat or quiet room to breathe intentionally. Just a moment. These breathing techniques are your personal pause button — a gentle reminder that calm is always within reach.