What are deep breathing techniques that can help with anxiety?

I often use a short kind of meditation that involves the breath, to help me regulate my parasympathetic nervous system in these kind of difficult situations. It involves breathing in for the count of four, holding your breath for the count of four and then breathing out for the count of four. If you do this 12 times you will usually find that your breathing has slowled down and that you are more “present”. You can use your hand to help you keep track of how many breaths you have taken by moving your thumb from the top of your index finger, down to the middle part of your index finger, then down to the lowest part, then doing the same with the next 3 fingers with each in-breath.
There is also another technique called “centering” that I find very useful, but this is hard to explain in writing; it is best expereinced. Feel free to contact me directly if you want to find out more about Centering.

Unfortunately, deep breathing exercises have no evidence to support their use. In fact they are often used as a placebo in experiments.

When it is used as an aid when you expect anxiety, or when you begin to experience anxiety they certainly help with the immediate effects of the stressor. However, you only do these exercises when you expect you cannot cope with the anxiety which actually engages your fight or flight response (anxiety) creating more needless distress for yourself. From this persepctive it would be just as advantageous to hold a cross, rabbits foot, four leaved clover etc.

The only evidence that exists in the literature for breathing exercises is when you relearn how to breathe. What I mean here is that most people above the age of 7 breathe from their chest rather than their diaphragm. If you are able to change this (which is possible - for example singers, wind instrument players, orators, actors) then this reduces your overall level of arousal (here you mean anxiety). ie more “stuff” needs to happen to send you over the edge rather than if you were breathing normally.

Reagrdless, deep breathing is a stop gap measure that does not deal with the cause of the distress that you feel. That warrants assistance from a psychologist.

Hello
Enhancing and utilising your breath (or in yoga we call it ‘prana’ which means life force) is a fantastic way to caml those nerves and focus all of your attention on your body and not what is happenning around you.

Exercise 1
Nadi Shodhana (please youtube this) There is a whole science behind this balancing breath however the brain just loves it and it feels really nice!
Alternate nostril breathing is great for nervousness…. Sitting comfortably place your index and middle finger in the centre of your brow. Use yourring finger and your thumb as levers to block off each side of the nostrils. For example, Breath in an open right nostril blocking off the left with ring finger, hold for just a few counts, alternate the lever and block the right nostril, breathing out the left. Breath in the left, keeping the right blocked, breath out the right, blocking the left and continue to alternate keeping the eyes closed, the face relaxed and focusing your attention within the body. Continue for atleast 20 breaths. 

Exercise 2
Ujai - The Victorious Breath
Again sit comofrtably (you can do this anywhere, noone will know), and close your eyes. Take a few moments to calm and setlle your body. Listening to the nerves and anxiety and for a moment just leaving them be just as they are without wishing for them to go away.
Begin to draw deep breaths in through your nose allowing the breath to flow all the way down to the belly adn breath out through the nose forcing the breath very gently across the back of the throat as if you are making the sound of the ocean. This oceanic sound is very cooling and calming. Continue to breath deeply into the belly, the ribs and also the chest, deepening the breath as you go. Allow your thoughts to be calmed by the sound of the breath and when the mind wanders away draw it back to the oceanic sound. Might take a little practice but you can practice Ujai anywhere or anytime and it brings concentration, calm and focus.

Hope this helps, good luck!
Heidi @ Alive Wellness Retreats

Firstly did you know that about 80% of people get pretty anxious public speaking!?! I get anxious too :-). Deep breathing alone is probably not the best approach, particularly in the long run. I teach mindfulness skills and mindful breathing can help to approach the talk in a different way. Often when we are anxious we focus so much on how we are feeling and get all caught up in our minds which are freaking us out!!! By noticing our breath, our bodies and the chattering mind and staying focussed on the task at hand we can do what is important without letting the anxiety get the better of us. It is kind of hard to explain in a few lines…….perhaps you might want to look up acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for anxiety or mindfulness meditation / skills to read more. 

Deep breathing can actually be counter productive! The key to relieving anxiety is to breathe diaphragmatically and to focus on the exhale.

Exercise 1
Lie on your back with your palms on your lower belly
Inhale into your hands and feel them rise as the belly expands on the inhale
Exhale, relax the breath and belly

Exercise 2
Continue as above
For the next 6 breaths, make each EXHALE slightly slower than the one before it.

As with all exercises or skills, the results are most effective when you practice regularly. Do the exercises above every day and you will find that your day to day breathing starts to change for the better and your anxiety subsides.