With over 8 million people experiencing an anxiety disorder in the UK, it’s no surprise that looking after our wellbeing has become more important than ever. 

Whether it’s work that’s getting you down, life at home, reading the news, social media expectations, or a combination of them all, it seems there’s no end to anxiety-generating situations.

Although mild anxiety is inevitable and even good in certain situations such as taking a test or going for a job interview, when it affects your quality of life, anxiety can be crippling.

One of the most commonly reported symptoms of anxiety is a feeling of tightness in your chest, which can sometimes trick you into thinking you can’t breathe properly and therefore lead to even more anxiety-inducing problems.

But what if I told you we can train our breath to remain controlled even in those stressful situations? That is where breathwork comes in!

 

So what is breathwork?

Breathwork comes under the mindfulness umbrella which is a term for a number of techniques you can practice that aim to bring your mind back to the present moment and away from other thoughts. Breathwork is one of these techniques which involves becoming aware of your breathing and intentionally changing your breathing pattern to positively alter your physical and mental state.

 

How effective is breathwork and can it really relieve us from stress?

Well according to the science, yes. In fact, one study carried out by the Journal of Neurophysiology revealed that various parts of the brain that are linked to emotion, attention, and body awareness are activated when we focus on our breath. 

Six participants who were all undergoing intracranial EEG monitoring for epilepsy, were monitored by scientists whilst taking part in three breathing exercises in order to understand how the brain would respond.

The experiment revealed that activity increased across a network of brain structures, including the amygdala, which is responsible for emotional responses including fear and anxiety, when the participants breathed rapidly.

The experiment also found a link between intentional, regulated breathing and an activation in the insula — a part of the brain responsible for regulating the autonomic nervous system and giving us the mind-body connection such as when we feel pain. This indicates that focusing on our breath may increase our awareness of how we feel inside— something often taught in yoga.

A separate study also supported this after it discovered that three months of practicing yoga along with coherent breathing, significantly reduced symptoms experienced in people who had been diagnosed with major depressive disorders. This was also supported by a review of breathwork studies that found practicing breathwork was a good option to consider as an additional treatment for those who suffered from anxiety and depression. 

 

Breathwork may not be right for everybody so it’s important to do your research before giving it a go. That being said, it seems there is sufficient evidence to support the idea that breathwork and breath control has a positive effect on our mental state when it comes to calming our mind and relieving symptoms of anxiety. 

Have you given breathwork a go? Or do you have any breathing techniques you use in anxious situations? If so, drop a comment below, I’d love to hear about them.