Jun 9, 2025
Around 19.1% of adults in the U.S. suffer from anxiety, and even more experience stress on a daily basis. Dissociating, drinking, or stress-eating are certainly ways to stop feeling anxious, but they can have big, negative impacts on your life. There has to be a way to deal with all this anxiety in a healthy manner. A healthy coping mechanism can help. Coping mechanisms are behaviors that reduce distress and improve positive mood. It’s a way to work through a feeling instead of just ignoring it or trying to drown it out. Studies have found breathing exercises to be especially effective at reducing stress and anxiety. Box breathing is one of those activities. This article will teach you how to box breathe in a way that manages anxiety.
What is Box Breathing?
Box breathing is a mindfulness breathing technique that can reduce levels of stress and anxiety and help you remain present. Box breathing works in a few ways:
- Distract your mind as you focus on counting and breathing in controlled measures.
- Regulate your autonomic nervous system.
Your autonomic nervous system is partly responsible for regulating your stress levels and promoting peaceful, calm feelings. Box breathing’s slow, controlled breaths followed by periods of holding breath allow for carbon dioxide to build up in the bloodstream, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for relaxing the body to prepare for sleep and other activities.
In short, box breathing tells the body it is time to calm down, which reduces anxiety levels and promotes levels of peace.
How to Use Box Breathing
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You can use box breathing anytime you need. Common reasons for using box breathing include to:
- Reduce stress
- Curb a panic attack
- Calm your mind before bed
- Focus yourself
- Break out of dissociation
- Become aware of your body and surroundings
- Promote feelings of peace and joy
These are just some of the reasons why you might want to practice box breathing. Box breathing is a very easy exercise. You can do it anywhere, standing up, sitting down, in private or somewhere public. In a pinch, you can do it without anyone knowing you’re doing it, making it a good option for a coping mechanism to use in a meeting or other public space.
To do box breathing simply breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds, and hold your breath for another 4 seconds. Repeat until you feel calm.
Here’s how to do box breathing as a mindfulness exercise:
- Find a Quiet Space: Begin by finding a quiet and comfortable place where you can sit or lie down without distractions. Take a moment to center yourself and prepare to focus on your breathing.
- Sit Comfortably: Sit with your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and hands resting gently on your lap or knees. Close your eyes if it helps you to better focus on your breath.
- Breathe In for 4 seconds: Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose for a count of four seconds. Feel your lungs filling up with air, expanding your abdomen as you breathe in. It can help to put a hand on your stomach so you can feel it rise and fall with air.
- Hold Your Breath for 4 seconds: Once you've reached the full count of four seconds, hold your breath for another count of four. Focus on the stillness and the sensation of pausing your breath.
- Exhale Slowly for 4 seconds: Slowly exhale through your mouth with control, releasing the air from your lungs for a count of four seconds. Feel the tension leaving your body as you breathe out. You want to do this in a controlled manner.
- Pause Again for 4 seconds: After fully exhaling, pause for another count of four seconds before beginning the next cycle of breathing. Use this time to notice any changes in your body and mind.
- Repeat the Cycle: Continue this cycle of box breathing—inhaling, holding, exhaling, and pausing—for several minutes, focusing on the rhythm and flow of your breath. Allow yourself to relax and let go of any tension or worries with each breath cycle.
- Gradually Increase Duration: As you become more comfortable with box breathing, you can gradually increase the duration of each breath count or the total time spent practicing this technique. This can deepen the sense of relaxation and calm that you experience.
- Reflect and Reconnect: After completing your box breathing session, take a moment to reflect on how you feel. Notice any changes in your mood, stress levels, or sense of calmness. Use this time to reconnect with yourself and carry this peaceful feeling forward into your day.
Box breathing is a great tool to know in case of stress, anxiety, or dissociation.
Benefits of Box Breathing
Box breathing is a proven, scientific coping skill. It has benefits which include:
- Improved Mental Health: Engaging in box breathing can contribute to improved mental health by reducing stress levels and promoting a sense of calmness.
- Enhanced Focus and Clarity: Practicing box breathing techniques may help enhance mental clarity, focus, and energy levels, offering cognitive benefits for concentration and productivity.
- Reduced Blood Pressure: Regularly incorporating box breathing into your routine may help lower blood pressure, contributing to overall cardiovascular health and well-being.
- Stress Management: Box breathing can be a useful technique for managing stress and panic, offering a practical method to cope with overwhelming feelings and regain a sense of control.
Box breathing isn’t the only activity you can use. If you don’t like box breathing but still want a breathwork mindfulness activity, try the 3-3-3 method for anxiety, color scanning, or meditation.
Therapy for Anxiety
Box breathing is a great coping skill to help you manage your stress levels, but it is not the only way to deal with extreme stress or anxiety. When stress and anxiety are overwhelming or constant, it could be a sign of a mental illness like General Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, or a phobia. In these cases, coping mechanisms alone may not be enough. Therapy and Medication are also important parts of a treatment plan.
Therapy for anxiety can help you get to the root cause of your anxiety, work through unhealthy thought patterns, and build healthy coping skills such as box breathing. To work with an anxiety therapist, contact Lifebulb. We have online anxiety therapists who are ready and able to assist you.
