Deep breathing exercises help your body to counteract its physiological response to fear/anxiety/stress by activating the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, which controls the body’s rest and relaxation response. This exercise comes by many names: belly breathing, square breathing, box breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, SEAL breathing, numbered breathing, etc. It is discreet and simple, making it a go-to for relaxation and centering in many different settings and situations: test-taking anxiety, workplace stress, during or after conflict, when faced with triggering stimuli, during difficult discussions, etc.

When deep breathing, direct your air deeper into your belly (aka, your diaphragm), rather than taking shallow breaths in your chest. When learning to use deep breathing, it may be helpful to place your hand on your abdomen so you can feel it rise and fall with each breathe. If you notice the top half of your torso inflating with air more than your bottom half, try to redirect the air to your belly.

Directions: Start by releasing all the air from your chest. Keep your lungs empty for a four-count hold. Visualize a box with equal sides, and a bubble that will travel along the sides of the box. Your bubble will inflate steadily as it travels across, stay inflated as it travels down the side, steadily deflate as it travels across, and hold its shape as it reaches its starting position.

  • Breathe in slowly through your nose as you count to four. Visualize the bubble steadily traveling across the top of the box.
  • Hold the air in your lungs for a four-count hold. (Try not to clamp down and crate in the air, but instead, maintain an open feeling.) Visualize the bubble traveling down the side of the box.
  • Breathe out, steadily and slowly, through your mouth. (Having your lips form a small circle helps to keep the breathe slow and steady.) Visualize the bubble traveling the bottom line of the box.
  • Hold, pausing before the next breath. Count to four, visualizing the bubble moving up the side, to its original position.
  • Continue this cycle for at least 2 minutes

Note that there are variations to this exercise. Box Breathing (with a 4-count on each side, pictured above) is helpful for concentration through stressful/fearful/difficult events. The 4-count box breathing has a grounding effect, helping you feel ready for the situation you’re in.


Deep breathing with a longer exhale count than inhale count is effective for deeper relaxation:

  • Breathe in steadily for four seconds
  • Hold the air in for four (or up to 7) seconds
  • Breathe out steadily for eight seconds
  • Hold for four (or up to 7) seconds
  • Continue deep breathing, with visualization