Heart racing, body tense? Follow the pace and breathe slowly for five minutes

What is slow breathing?

Slow breathing means deliberately slowing your breath down: in for about four seconds, out for about six, roughly six breaths a minute, with the out-breath a little longer. When you're tense and your heart is racing, breathing usually gets shallow and quick; slow breathing starts from the breath to help your body slow down. It isn't deep breathing: no need to fill your lungs, each breath can be gentle.

It's different from five-minute mindful breathing: there, you leave the breath as it is and practise noticing it; here, you follow a pace and actively slow the breath down.

Andrea Zaccaro and colleagues at the University of Pisa reviewed the research on slow breathing and found that breathing at around six breaths a minute is linked with a more relaxed, less anxious state, though the studies varied a lot in how they did it. The UK's National Health Service (NHS) also suggests slowly counting your breaths in and out when you feel stressed. On the other hand, when Andrea Pompoli and colleagues analysed CBT for panic disorder, they found that adding breathing training did little for panic disorder itself. So this page treats slow breathing simply as a way to help your body slow down, not as a treatment.

This exercise isn't therapy and doesn't replace a doctor or professional support. Slow breathing can sometimes make you dizzy or tingly or feel short of air, and unpleasant feelings can come up; if that happens, tap "Stop" and go back to breathing normally. Don't hold your breath, and don't take bigger breaths. If you have asthma, a long-term lung condition or a heart condition, use a pace that feels comfortable; you can choose the shorter pace (in for three, out for five). If you have chest pain, feel about to faint, or the discomfort doesn't settle, get medical help straight away.

Slow breathing (about six breaths a minute) is a common way to relax. Andrea Zaccaro and colleagues at the University of Pisa reviewed the research and found this kind of breathing linked with a more relaxed, less anxious state, though the studies used quite different methods; the UK's National Health Service (NHS) also lists slowly counted breathing in and out as a way to ease stress.

How it works

1. 1First rate how tense your body feels right now (0 to 10).
2. 2Choose a comfortable position (sitting, lying or standing) with one hand on your belly, then a pace (in for four and out for six, or the shorter in for three and out for five) and a length (three or five minutes).
3. 3Tap "Start" and breathe with the circle on screen: breathe in gently while the dot travels the "In" stretch, and out slowly along the "Out" stretch. Each breath draws a wave underneath. If you feel dizzy or unwell, tap "Stop".
4. 4Afterwards, rate your body's tension again, choose the feeling that fits best, and write one line if you like; finally, choose when you'll use it next, and keep it on your slow breathing card.

References

1. Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B., & Gemignani, A. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353.
2. NHS. Breathing exercises for stress. https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/breathing-exercises-for-stress/
3. Pompoli, A., Furukawa, T. A., Efthimiou, O., Imai, H., Tajika, A., & Salanti, G. (2018). Dismantling cognitive-behaviour therapy for panic disorder: A systematic review and component network meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 48(12), 1945–1953.